Songs of the Year 2011 - An Eclectic Bunch.

The last two days of every year always heralds two very unique, different posts on my blog - whichever one it may be at the time. And this year is no different. For this is the annual Song of the Year blog post.

Let me first begin by wishing you all a very Happy Christmas, and I hope that the New Year brings about plenty of new and exciting opportunities for you all. I know the former is fairly belated, but it's just been madness for the last six weeks to even try and write...

But hey, we'll have none of that... We've had some of the best records in years released in 2011 - from mainstream pop, to underground dub-step, all the way round to some great movie soundtracks and a great hip-hop track or two. Anyone who knows me knows my music collection is as diverse as a large bag of Revels, and every record I'll be talking about has been overplayed to death on ye olde iPod.

2011 is arguably the year that defines plenty of artists career up to now - Rihanna, Adele, KatyPerry and Cee Lo Green just to name a few. We Found Love, from Rihanna and Calvin Harris in September, was one of the biggest hits of the year - combining big pumping beats with lyrics that went down an absolute storm on every dance floor around the globe. Adele's Someone Like You in late January became one of the fastest-selling downloads of all-time - stripped down vocals and melodic piano meant this ballad became one that helped depict plenty of memories. 

Katy Perry has had plenty of hits too - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) and Firework made up elements of the Top 20 bestselling hits of the year, mixing classic pop tones with a cracking beat, and two genius videos to match too. And Cee Lo... Well well well. Fuck You!, despite being released in August 2010, continued to sell, and is still found in the Top 50 singles on the iTunes Chart as we speak. He also gave us I Want You and Bright Lights Bigger City - by far and away some of the best music around this year.

But what about the other big hits? The likes of Moves Like Jagger from Maroon 5 and Christina, or Super Bass from Nicki Minaj? Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People was massive on both sides of the Atlantic, likewise Grenade and Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars. Jessie J has launched big-time Stateside with the brilliant Domino, and we also can't overlook Gaga, and the might of Born This Way, Judas, and Marry The Night.

But what about those songs that haven't had such big commerical success? The likes of Drake's Headlines - arguably one of the best hip-hop records of the last decade, has to be in there - with its catchy beats and repetitive rhythms, it was a sure-fire winner. Kanye and Jay-Z released one of the biggest and best albums of the year, and the lead single Otis was massive - a masterclass in how to feature a track without upstaging it.

Jumping on the dance floor hasn't been easier than this year, either. Avicii's piece of genius that is Levels has been a late bloomer this year, gaining more and more airtime on radio stations and becoming a proper floorfiller. Katy B has been a massive, massive hit here in the UK this year, and her album On A Mission has been a big success. But her track Katy On A Mission was heard everywhere this summer. And who can forget the might of the song that is Party Rock Anthem, from LMFAO? Need I say more....

There have been some great tracks that have remained very under the radar too - Glen Campbell's final recording gave us A Better Place - two minutes of pure joy in a song. There was also Let England Shake, from PJ Harvey, and her Mercury Prize-winning album - bringing folk and rock together into a wonderful hybrid of happiness. Or what about Elbow's The Birds, featuring one of the most beautiful instrumentals I've ever heard? We also can't overlook Mary J. Blige's autobiographical song Need Someone - a soft, unbelievably beautiful ballad that makes you feel every single syllable of every word.

Jamie Woon's Lady Luck was a song that got stuck in your head for weeks, let alone days, and was everything that was expected from him this time last year. Likewise James Blake, with The Wilhelm Scream being by far and away one of my favourite records of the year. Aloe Blacc also fired his way up there with I Need A Dollar - a song felt by every student up and down the country as student fees went up and up and up.

And you can't overlook a good country record, either - Zac Brown Band's amazingly-paced Whiskey's Gone has you dancing for every second of the 2:47 it's on. Or, for further comedic value and a video to match, Toby Keith's moment of genius with Red Solo Cup is an absolute must - despite its rather ghastly cover on Glee. And if you drop the tempo even further, insert some synthesised beats and put it in a film, and you'll end up with Trent Reznor and Atticus Rose's collaboration with Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the cover of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song featured in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Now that's how to re-record a classic.

The sad passing of Amy Winehouse in July led to a posthumous album released in early December, which spawned the rather beautiful Our Day Will Come, alongside a rather spine-chilling version of A Song For You. And, I know I shall be ridiculed beyond belief for this, but One Direction's Gotta Be You is one of the best pieced-together pop records of the year by a living mile. Genius use of an orchestra, too. And sticking on the teen pop vibe, a wonderful record from the US was Love You Like A Love Song, from Selena Gomez & The Scene. That's Mrs Bieber, to you and me...

One of the biggest records of the year came from relatively unknown American Lana Del Rey, and the incredible Video Games - a really quite beautiful track. Now the shock value that came with her 'story' at the start has been diluted a wee bit, but that doesn't take away from the fact this is a massive, massive record. A really 'underground' record was 'Rome', from Danger Mouse and Daniele Lucci - an album recorded in homage to Italian film soundtracks. This gave us Season's Trees, featuring Norah Jones, and you just lose yourself in the song. Metronomy released 'An English Riviera' - an album that combines the wonderful folk sounds we have grown accustom to, with some electronic vibes that give them such a unique sound. The Look was the best song off the album - and is a piece of genius. There was also the UK's first major talent show winner, Will Young, and his remarkable new album, which gave us Come On - a high-tempo, happy, fun record. Very different to our Lana...

And we most certainly can't go through a review of big songs without considering some of the biggest albums released this year - Coldplay brought us Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, Hurts Like Heaven, and M.M.I.X., all from their number-one album 'Mylo Xyloto'. Now this was met by Beyonce's acclaimed '4' album, which arrived with Countdown, I Care, Party and Run The World (Girls). And that was eventually trumped at the end of this year with 'Christmas', from Michael Buble - Jingle Bells, Blue Christmas and  Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) are sure-fire favourites to become Christmas classics in years to come.

But like us all, I have my favourites... This year, it's a Top 5. And there's no order, cos they're all bloody brilliant in their own special, and very unique way.

Florence + the Machine returned this year with a great album - 'Ceremonials' - and the second single released was Shake It Out. Fast, story-based, wonderful lyrics and that voice that made us all fall in love with her first time around just got bigger. Great record.

Big dance hit of the year, as many music critics have agreed, was that from Joe Goddard and Valentina, with Gabriel. A big house vibe, with secluded vocals and a wonderful rising repetition, and this record gained a lot of love. Coldplay did something very similar with repetition, and Charlie Brown was invented. A great intro, topped with a wonderful ending that took it right back to the roots of the song. Great idea.

A name you're not likely to know - Michael Kiwanuka. But you wait till this time next year, and everyone will be all over him. This guy is talented, and the EP he released earlier in the year gave us a piece of music that gives me goosebumps every time - I Need You By My Side. A very, very special young talent, and a wonderful record.

But my song of the year? It's another revisit... Katy Perry's The One That Got Away. Melodic, beautiful, unreserved and there's some great elements that makes a perfect pop song - key change, strings, cracking video, and the ability to speed it up for remixes, and strip it down for concerts. It was, and is, a masterpiece.

So that's it for another year. Some massive music this year, and there'll be plenty more next year. Will try and give you a sneak peak into the music world of 2012 at some stage over the next week - keep your eyes peeled...

I've pieced together a playlist of all the above tracks on Spotify, if that takes your fancy...

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

All Good Things Come To An... Unfinished Conclusion.

You may be wondering what the sod this is all about. To be frank, I am too. But you'll notice the date on this post, and the date on the last one, too.

Around this time last year, I fell out of love with writing - I just really could not be bottomed to sit down, pop me glasses on, sniff some coffee and start tapping at my keyboard. I wasn't inspired to write anything, and I certainly wasn't going to inspire myself from the three seconds I got a day to think about myself.

This year, it's not much different. The calendar is chocka, and there's not a lot of time to even breathe, let alone sit and think. There's a lot going on in my life currently, and there will be in 2012 too. And that's quite a scary prospect.

Two months today, my fate will be sealed with the traditional 'Your time is up; please put down your pens', and the final closing of an exam paper. Then I should hopefully be on my merry way to university come September. Or so that's the plan. Deja vu, anyone?

I also have a temporary Christmas job at Waterstone's, like I have for the previous three years, and I'm back with some of my favourite people in the world - James, Phil, Laura, Richard, Liz; the list goes on. And it's great, but horrifically tiring.

Not to mention the worst timing known to man of my biggest project to date at my other job, but that's neither here nor there - cos that's just a barrel of laughs and it allows me to be creative, and exciting, and different to what I normally am. I couldn't ask for more.

But all this fannying around doesn't really allow for a lot of time to sit and write. I write for five public blogs, three private blogs, and I also have to keep my online portfolio updated. I also write all the public documents and website content at Parc Computers - my proper job, and try and come up with ideas for other bits and bobs I have going too. It's a killer.

It's made me open my eyes and realise I don't have a lot of time left for myself anymore. I haven't finished a book in seven months. So I need to 'streamline', in a way. So here's the plan.

Come January, I'll be losing a few blogs, and concentrating bloody hard on making the others even better than I have tried to before. I have a vague idea of the plans, but it's like wading through mud in my brain at the minute, so God knows what'll happen.

I'm sure that was as interesting as a shit on a stick, but I needed a place to vent and get that off my chest and onto some form of electronic device.

I mean, this is General Musings of an Idiot, after all...

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Inspiration Invitations: Grace Dent

Having sunk a glass or two of the rather lovely dark variety of wine, this could be a very strange piece. I apologise in advance, but equally, this could be the best blog you've ever read. So keep your eyes peeled.

This is the third instalment of my series, known as 'Inspiration Invitiations'. As explained before, this is a set of posts that depict and display the people who inspire me, and it's me inviting you to be inspired by them too. Simple.

Today, it's the turn of the lovely Grace Dent. Now there's not a lot to say, to be quite honest with you, other than the fact she is the reason I want to be a journalist.

There's hundreds and thousands of journalists around the globe, all reporting on different things. But nobody can get away with the tone and the language Grace uses, and still make it funny, interesting, and make you looking forward to the next article.

Her TV OD series for the Guardian has me in stiches every week - because she says what she thinks, and what we all think. It's a remarkable gift to have, and she most certainly has it.

I have wanted to be a journalist since the age of 11, and at about 14 I found her works for the first time. And that's the reason I decided that was my life ambition, and that's what I want to do for a career. She made that decision for me by becoming my role model.

I want to be able to write what I want, when I want to, with the same tone she does. I want to be able to speak my mind, and have that accepted by the vast majority of my readers. I want to be as successful as she is, and become the most wonderful person she is.

I met her at Twight Night at the turn of the month, and was so unbelievably starstruck by her that I couldn't even say two words to her. The fact she was sat in a chair with Caitlin Moran made it all the better, and I had to ask isobel to keep me sane.

If it weren't for Grace, her wonderful writing, and her brilliant personality, I wouldn't want to be a journalist. I'd be a travel agent, or an assistant in Asda, or a cotton weaver in the 1860's. But it is thanks to her that my life has a plan and an ultimate goal, and I'm very very proud to say she has influenced that.

If you get a chance, go find her writing - you won't be disappointed. Likewise with her most recent book, 'How To Leave Twitter' - one of the best pieces of writing released this year.

Thankyou Grace - from the very very bottom of my heart. You have helped make my dreams become a reality.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Inspiration Invitations: Lewis Wiltshire

I'm slacking already, and for that I apologise profusely. But today brings about the second in my 'Inspiration Invitations' series.

To explain the concept of Inspiration Invitations is a pretty easy thing to do. These posts are the people that have inspired me, and therefore I'm inviting you to let them inspire you too. Hence the name.

And the penny drops....

There's one man that I feel is very deserved of a post with the Inspiration Invitations tag. He's been a big influence for me, yet hardly any of you will know who he is. But I bet you've used his website.

Lewis Wiltshire is the former Editor of the BBC Sport website, and is now the Digital Olympics Editor, alongside Social Media Editor, both still for BBC Sport. I've had the privilege of meeting Lewis, and getting to know him via social networks. And if I do say so, he's bloody brilliant.

As you all know, I wish to become a sports journalist, and my dream from about the age of 12 is to worth for the BBC Sport online team. Therefore, the person I needed to learn from, and to aspire to, was Lewis. A quick Google, a few clicks, and I was following him on Twitter. And that's where this story sort of begins and ends.

I won't bore you with Tweets and conversations, but Lewis has been a massive help. He's advised and helped, and in a way, become a role model for me to aspire to. But most of all, he's inspired me.

There was a point around Christmas last year that I has 'writer's block,' and I did consider giving up on my dream, and just looking for another. I've always enjoyed teaching, so I could do that. And I like advertising and marketing, too, so there's another avenue to explore. But it was one solitary email from Lewis that got everything back on track, and since then I've been more focused and determined than ever.

I hate rejection - it's the worst feeling in the world by a living mile. Nobody likes being told they're not good enough, or that what they've spent so long working towards isn't going to happen. And that's why I can't be beaten on this one. Lewis has been someone to look up to, not only in a professional capacity, but in a personal one too.

I have a few dreams in life. I'd like to open a patisserie in a suburb in the States. I'd like to visit China, and go to Beijing. I'd quite like to own a gastropub, and pick the menu. I'd like my kids to grow up and be whoever they want to be. I'd like to work for the BBC, and I'd love to work in TV Centre.

With the Sport department moving to the new MediaCity:UK complex in Salford, and TV Centre slated to close completely in 2017, that dream is seemingly just that - a dream. I would, one day, love to work for Lewis, in whatever role he currently has at that point in time. There's just something exciting and current about his thoughts, ideas, and his team - and it would be (literally) a dream come true to be part of that. Cue cheesy music, awkward glances, and a 'Happily Ever After' sign on the screen.

In all seriousness, Lewis has made me realise a dream, and made me crave it even more. If you're at all interested in writing, journalism, or sport-based media, you have to get in touch with him. I promise you, you won't regret it at all.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Inspiration Invitations: Poppy Dinsey

In the lead-up to Christmas, I always start some form of 'blog sets', as I call them - posts with a shared meaning. This year, or certainly to start off with, I want to write about the people who inspire me, and who have made me do something, achieve something, or aspire to something. It's called 'Inspiration Invitations' - cos I want them to inspire you, too.

Back at the start of 2010, I discovered a blog that I had been told about via the means of Twitter, and immediately followed it. It was so different to anything I'd seen before - new, interesting, a genius idea, a great back story, and a woman wonderfully outspoken, but with dignity, integrity, and with that bit of grit you really want to see from every blogger.

That was Poppy Dinsey, and the blog was What I Wore Today.

If you're an avid reader of GMOAI, you'll know I have a bit of an obsession with What I Wore Today, and I tell you all every so often quite how brilliant it is. This may be a tiny blog in a tiny part of the internet, but if I can just make one person have a look and enjoy it, then even better.

Poppy is a massive inspiration for me. The blog was originally a post a day from Poppy's wardrobe - a New Years' Resolution in order to wear more clothes accumulated over the years stashed in her wardrobe. The blog grew and grew, becoming more and more functional, with more and more people getting interested and having a look each and every day, and earlier this year, it became a social network for fashion lovers everywhere. A photo is uploaded, tagged with the items you are wearing, and starred by people if they like it. You can then be directed straight to the top, or pair of jeans, or shoes, or whatever, and buy it straight from the site. She even has a bloody iPhone app, for God's sake.

It wasn't what her blog became though - it was how she did it. She didn't let it all go to her head - she was still very true to herself, and the blog grew around her, rather than her growing around the blog. Obviously, there was an element of that, but you know what I mean.... No big-hitting ego, no monstrous claims, no selling-out to the big boys of the online world. It's still the same old Poppy that we know and love - the sweary, interesting, no qualms, brilliant Poppy.

So why has she inspired me?! For exactly that. Her vision for her blog has made it such a monumental hit, and that's what is so interesting about it all. There's no doubting who Poppy is, because she's the same across everything. It's really been quite brilliant watching the blog grow, seeing her gain the fame the blog deserves, and I'm really excited about where the future takes it all too.

If it weren't for Poppy, I'd certainly never have started My Food Revolution, and posted 365 different meals on a blog. And then the domino effect begins - other blogs wouldn't be where they are, I wouldn't have gained the work experience I got, I wouldn't have met the people I did and I wouldn't have been anywhere near the person and blogger I am now. So in some ways I have Poppy to thank for everything my blogs have led me to so far.

This coming Thursday, I'll finally meet Poppy at the 140 Characters exhibition, hopefully have a photo taken and be able to tag it and upload it to WIWT. Knowing me, mind you, and the way I get so bloody starstruck, I'll just cower in a corner and wave politely.

She will have gained better, more acclaimed praise elsewhere - through her numerous newspaper and magazine interviews, the comments people leave all over the net, and also through her Twitter feed. I dunno if she'll ever find this, but I hope eventually it appears on her Google Alerts and she'll smile that she actually helped change someone's life.

Poppy really has inspired me, What I Wore Today has inspired my blogs, and I hope that both will now inspire you. I really do.

To follow Poppy on Twitter, click here, or to find out what all the fuss about, click here to go to What I Wore Today.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

F1 Set To Confirm New Jersey GP For 2013

As many of you know, I write for several different places across the internet, notably about sport. There's Stretty News, Sport Witness, Back Page Football, 19 Times and That's A Fact, and the others - here, and there's a few fairly private blogs too. And if you ever find them on the world wide web, I promise to buy you a pint. Trust me, you won't find them.

Most of what I write is in some way sport-related, and unfortunately for you sport fans, this post will be no different. Yes yes, I know, I haven't written a GMOAI Sports Thoughts post for a good few weeks, concentrating on Apple, blogging, and of course, pie. As you do.

But there was a story that caught my eye this morning that I had to write about. And bearing in mind Tuesday is GMOAI day, it will end up on here. So I sincerely apologise, but hope you choose to continue reading. If not, thanks for your time and hopefulyl see you next week. Maybe.

This morning, plans were announced for a New Jersey Formula One race, to begin in 2013. This may not sound particularly interesting, but think about it - a road race round one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with the Manhattan skyline as a back drop. A four mile circuit along the Hudson River that will change how many people perceive F1.

And the fact the US GP makes a return to the calendar next year at the newly-built circuit in Austin, Texas, means we may be seeing millions more fans tuning in to such a wonderful sport.

Now there has been no confirmation whether or not Texas and New Jersey willalternate as hosts of the US GP, or whether they will both be added to the calendar as separate races, taking us back to the 1980's with the US GP and the US West GP.

Counter in the fact that in 2014, we'll also see the new circuit at Sochi in Russia added to the calendar, and we have the potential of 23 races on the calendar in 2014. Clearly, that's far too many, and some will either be placed on rotation or scarpped altogether, but there's plenty of interest in F1 again. Qatar, Estonia and Croatia are all in talks to hold a GP, as are South Africa, and there's even talk of Argentina getting involved.

F1 is growing again, and it's brilliant to see. Let's just hope the fans are put first and not the money. As usual.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Home Comforts, Baked Delights

For the last five days, I've spent time comforting Isobel in Roehampton, telling her it'll all be okay and home is still here. So on Tuesday night, we baked steak pie. But this wasn't any old steak pie.

This was Adam's steak pie - the fourth generation of whom the recipe has been passed down to. Mum's mum's mum did this originally, and it's so unbelievably simple.

Make a very basic shortcrust pastry - something similar to the one you can find on the BBC Food website. Let it 'rest' and firm up in the fridge, then roll it out to your tin size - keep it about half a centimetre thick and its happy days. Fill your pie tin with some chunky steak in a tin - the stuff from M&S is the best. And use two tins - then you'll get a decent filling.

Top the pie with your pastry, roughly chop off the excess, then crimp it. Then cut off all the waste, roll out the pastry again, and then cut some leaf-like shapes - one for every person eating. Or as many as you wanna decorate it wit - helps with portion size. Brush with some milk, pop a few steam holes in it, and bake till golden. And that's that.

And it was lovely - creamy, thick mash, and peas, with gravy. A good stomach lining for the bottles we found this morning....

It did get me thinking though - everyone has a meal that they crave when they go home. Mine is a proper Chinese. I know a lot of people who crave roast dinners, or cakes, or specific puddings - Angel Delight is always a favourite. It really is quite a special thing.

But so is food - how many memories do you have that are attached to your favourite meals? A marraige proposal? The first smile for a while? Finding out some wonderful news? It's an incredible force.

So... What are yours? Let me know - email me, Tweet me, or even comment on this post. Would love to know what you think!

 

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Blogging About Bloggers Blogging On Their Blogs

There are so many blogs on the internet. Millions and millions of people writing daily about what happens in their life, what their job is, and what their mission in life has become. There's an infinite plethora of info on the internet of people, places, groups, cults, companies, choices... The list goes on.

But we all have our favourites. Hopefully, the fact you're reading this indicates you quite like what I write, and that's a very humbling thought. But if not - welcome aboard lovely internet person. Or foreign search engine.

I have my favourites - I have a list of blogs I check on a daily basis for updates, or changes - and that's because they entertain me, they inform me, and they make me feel better. Some may call it an addiction, but for me it's now just part of my daily routine. So I figured I'd blog about my favourite five bloggers who blog about their blogs. Or something like that.

Poppy Dinsey - What I Wore Today

My favourite blog in the whole wide world is 'What I Wore Today', by Miss Poppy Dinsey. Poppy blogs about her daily outfits, and her New Years' Resolution became an addiction. And is now her job.

You see, Poppy now runs What I Wore Today as a fashion social network. She's made a name for herself, and she's now very successful because of it. She even has an iPhone app - kind of an ultimate goal for me...

She's become a sort of cult hero to me - she gave me a different outlook on blogging, and having followed her all the way, it makes sense to only keep following her journey, and continue to watch her career blossom and become incredibly successful.

I've followed Poppy's blog for coming up two years - it was February 2010 when I first heard about her, and now she's an up and coming star of not just the fashion world, but the media world too. It says a lot when even my Business Studies teacher last year had heard of her - he was hardly a die-hard fashion fan, put it that way...

You can find What I Wore Today right here, or follow Poppy on Twitter by clicking on this one. Or even follow WIWT on Twitter too. Clever.

Alice Harold - More Than Toast

If it wasn't for What I Wore Today's social networking re-launch, I'd have never heard of Alice, and I'd certainly never have found More Than Toast. MTT is Alice's little spot on the World Wide Web, with all her musings and bits and bobs going on in her life. It's strangely addictive.

The thing with blogs like this is you enjoy reading them, but by the time you start telling people about them, you feel like a stalker. I know Alice has a husband called Will, and the most gorgeous daughter called Elfie. I know Alice is pregnant again, and the baby is due in May. I know she has a bit of an unhealthy obsession for Apple products. (don't we all?!) I know she has 98 things left on her Life List, and then she'll be satisfied. And that's all from reading her work...

Her blog is a bit of calm away from the storm, to be honest with you. I love reading about happy things, and everything that appears on Alice's blog is happy, and smiley, and always leaves me chuckling by the end. Anyone who announces their pregnancy with 'I'm knocked up again!' or calls their unborn baby 'Foetus' automatically gains 'Legendary' status to me. She's just one of those human beings you can only love. And I've never met her. *feels stalkerish again...*

If you have five minutes, go have a look at More Than Toast - you really won't be disappointed. And then go follow Alice on Twitter too, and smile even more.

Natasha Henry - So Natasha Says.

Like myself, Natasha wants to be a sports journalist. Admittedly, she's a little further on than I am - training as we speak, and already writing for some of the biggest sports blogs on the net, but her blog is a different look on football. It's a fresh take from a fresh mind on what goes on. So Natasha Says is just a great little blog.

She may be a Gooner, but don't hold that against her - she's already suffered enough this season... Her writing is very inspiring in a way - it's quite thought provoking and does make you consider your own views. It's a fantastic way to discover what's going on, and her look on it all is great.

Throw into the mix that she's also a really quite lovely person, and willing to help with anything. I have a bit of a soft spot for Tasha, and she's one of my favourite people on Twitter too.

So, go see So Natasha Says, and follow her on Twitter too. I promise you it's worth it.

Callum Winterford - Student Daily

As you will be aware by now, there was a time where I was going to university, in particular City Uni London. That rather wonderful 'school administrative error' scuppered those hopes this year, but there wasn't a hope in hell I was missing out on a year's worth of writing and learning. And having had a few Google searches and a quick Facebook page scour, I came across this.

Callum is studying Journalism at City, and is in his first year. We would have been on the same course had my life taking a slightly different path. But Student Daily is really quite a brilliant blog - a different perspective on the events going on in our world.

Informative, witty, and interesting, Student Daily ticks the box of every aspect a good blog should be. It's a really decent read, everything flows nicely together, and it's a bit different to all the other student blogs trying to inform and entertain on the web.

Not only that, but Callum wants to be on Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports. I rest my case - it's a winner.

If you get the chance, you can read Student Daily here, or follow Callum on Twitter too. I just have. So now it's your go.

Angie Dudley - Bakerella

I have a few passions in my life. One is for football - in particular Manchester United. Another is technology, and embracing what new products are brought to the table. I love to write, and I love to continually be inspired. And I love to bake.

Baking is one of those things I have always loved to do. From a child licking the cake bowl, to leaving bread dough to prove and just being so tempted to start kneading it again, to making intricate birthday cakes for friends to eat alongside their company. It's what I'm passionate about.

I will guarantee that Bakerella will inspire and ignite your passion, too. Angie has built up her blog of cakes and all sorts of sugary goodness, and soon releases her own cookbook on cake pops. It's becoming a bit of a phenomenon.

Whether it's a recipe you're after, or a little inspiration, or even just to admire the beautiful images strewn throughout her posts and pages, you need to have a bit of Bakerella in your life.

I mean, everybody has a baking memory, don't they? A special brithday cake, or your wedding cake, or that one moment in your life where the realisation kicked in over a biscuit. Okay, that last one was clutching at straws, but you get my point...

Angie's blog is so wonderfully inspiring, and it's always worth checking, and seeing what is going on in her cake tin world. It's a beautiful blog, and you'll certainly find something that will get you wanting to get in the kitchen.

Bakerella can be found here, or you could follow Angie on Twitter here.

Blogging has become a part of our society, and has allowed normal, bog-standard people to have their say on any subject known to man. It's become a platform for people to have a say, just like I'm doing, and just like the five people above do too.

And if I can take a little bit from all five of those blogs, and put them into my big pot of inspiration, then this place will become a little bit better, and a little bit brighter. Lovely stuff.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Steve Jobs: A Tribute To My Hero

I wanted to write something on this very sad afternoon which reflected my own personal feelings. As you will all be aware by now, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs sadly died this morning, after a seven year battle with pancreatic cancer, at the age of 56.

Now a lot has been, and will be written about Steve over the next few days and weeks. But I wanted to add my own personal feelings to the growing number of pages across the web expressing their deepest sadness at the loss of a wonderful man.

I never met Steve Jobs. I never spoke to him, I never heard from him. I knew him as much as the majority of you reading this. But Steve Jobs was my hero - he was the man I wanted to be. Whenever I felt down, I'd turn to some form of Apple product to cheer me up, or go and watch another keynote to discover the true art of capturing people. Steve was the type of man you didn't need to meet to know. In fact, you already knew him.

His driven nature led to products that people couldn't have dreamed of. A personal computer with a mouse? 'Won't work', many said. Now look where the Mac is, with its 24% market share.

A portable digital music player?! 'Will never take off', many said. So Steve went and sold over 300 million iPods, just to prove a point.

And then the penny dropped - this man was a genius. He'd gone and changed the face of technology with his pioneering ideas and his inventions that would change the way we live.

The iPhone and the world went crazy. This week saw the fifth generation of iPhone being launched, and over 90 million iPhones have been sold and shipped around the globe. And that figure will double over the next year on projected growth sales.

What about Steve's final big idea - the iPad? Tablet computing was the way forward, and Steve realised this in early 2006, so set to work on designing a device that would be capable of doing so. In April 2010, it hit the market, and within a year had sold 28 million units of both the first and second generation tablets.

He also devised the idea of Apple retail stores, giving consumers an opportunity to play with and hopefully buy the products that are made by Apple. Customer service was always key for Steve - it was always something that he believed very much in. I don't think anyone has ever had a bad experience in an Apple store that wasn't fixed by a member of staff. It's a wonderful place.

I was in an Apple store the day Steve resigned during August, and it was a very weird atmosphere - very sombre. Each employee knew a part of the company had just disappeared, and they were very down. Each customer knew they were with the Apple family on a very strange day in Apple history. And I would hate to have been near an Apple store today - it will have been a very dark day in those big glass buildings.

I own an iPhone. I own an iPad. We as a family own a Mac. And I use the devices each and every day, and I couldn't wish for easier and more intuitive devices to use. They make life so much simpler, and also make my days become so much easier.

The only word that sums up Steve Jobs is 'genius'. I don't think there is, or has been, anyone in the technology market that has ever given so much to how we live.

The news filtered through last night of his sad passing here in the UK, and the tributes began to pour in. At the time of writing, over 35 million people in China have paid tribute to the man behind the biggest technology brand in the world.

But that's not just why he's my hero. The man has had three major health scares, but battled on because he loved his job so much. There was a passion and a fire there that meant he gave 100% every single day, no matter what his health was like, because he adored his company so much.

He also made some very shrewd, and very clever business decisions and investments that led to him becoming a multi-billionaire, all of which will now end up with the many charities and foundations he supported throughout his life.

There also wasn't a day that went by that Steve Jobs wasn't smiling - his outlook on life was something everyone should have to adopt. He was proud of what he had achieved, and wanted the world to know quite how proud, and that's something special in itself.

He was someone special - someone really quite special. Again, I never met him, but the vibe you got from everyone was that he was just a man who had all the time in the world for you, and equally wanted to make sure you left with a smile. He was a God-like figure to many who looked up to him, and aspired to be him.

Without him, the likelihood of us having the platforms to spread our views - on blogs, on Twitter, using Facebook, through networking on the web - would have been a lot slimmer. Most of these sites were built on a Mac, and are accessed daily via an iPhone or an iPad, and that's what helped grow the sites so quick. It's quite remarkable how much input the man has had.

Today really is a very sad day, not just for the technology industry, but for the world as a whole. Steve Jobs brought so much to us, but didn't want anything bar your custom and a smile in return. He has changed the way we all live, and for the better too.

I Tweeted a little earlier, and I think that just sums up everything.

Thank you Steve. Without you, my days would be a little bit darker. You are the ultimate hero.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

AC - After Cupertino: iPhone 4S Launched In Uneventful Apple Keynote

I blogged earlier this afternoon about the big plans we thought Apple had for us in their keynote this evening. And how unbelievably underwhelming it was.

As we knew, Apple would be releasing a phone, and they did - the iPhone 4S, not the iPhone 5 as predicted. I would call it a recycled idea - it has the body of an iPhone 4, and is kitted out with basically the same insides too. A faster A5 chip, that outputs seven times faster graphics than the iPhone 4, plus a new 8 megapixel that takes some rather beautiful pictures. Bar that, mind you, nothing else shouts out 'BUY ME' - a new antenna system, a global phone, HD video, and AirPlay mirroring.

The only feature that does look quite brilliant is called Siri - a voice recognition assistant service. You ask her whatever the hell you want - what's the weather, make me a meeting, call my wife - and she will come up with a very logical answer. That is the only stand-out feature for me.

Other announcements included a slightly updated iPod line-up, and as predicted, the iPod Classic is now dead and buried. A few minor updates to the iPod Touch, including a white version, and a few new additions to the iPod Nano, and we're there. And that was that.

There were also a few new features mentioned regarding iCloud and iOS 5. No Facebook integration as suspected, nor any major advances on what we heard in June. One quite neat new application is 'Cards', Apple's new take on Moonpig here in the UK, and Hallmark in the US. A card making service, sending greetings cards across the US and around the world with your photos or your creations plastered across the front. It's $2.99 a card for domestic US mail, or $4.99 to send a card anywhere else in the world. And the app is free, too. Very clever to diversify into another new market, and watch them make a big killing in market share too.

We also saw something called 'Find My Friends', using the same technology as seen in 'Find My iPhone', which allows you to discover your friends with an iOS GPS-enabled device. The demo given during the keynote was at Disneyland, showing all your friends in your address book in the local area. Clever, but needed? Not really.

So, dates, I hear you ask. October 12th is the big one for most of us - that's the release date for iOS 5, iCloud, Cards, and Find My Friends. All are free, and will be made available across the globe next Wednesday.

October 14th is the release date for the iPhone 4S, priced at $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model, and $399 for the 64GB model. It can be pre-ordered from October 7th - this Friday. It's available in both black and white. (hurrah, you may be saying, after the iPhone 4 white model fiasco...)

The 3GS is also here to stay. It's available in 8GB, and is now free via contract. The iPhone 4 is also only available in an 8GB model, priced at $99.

No iPad. No Mac updates. No iPhone 5. No big surprises. And no Steve Jobs, either.

Ah well, there's always January...

All pictures courtesy of Engadget.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

BC - Before Cupertino: Apple Prepare For iPhone Keynote

At lunchtime in San Francisco, we'll know what's being released. The rumours will stop, and we'll just start getting excited for the new product.

But until then, the trepidation continues to build towards Apple's big iPhone announcement this afternoon, at 6PM here in the UK, and 10AM in the US.

At the time of writing this, there's just under three hours to go before the announcement. As I said last week, the signs indicate the new iPhone 5, which has been the subject of the Apple rumour mill since the summer of 2010.

Courtesy of MacRumors

But, does that mean that wonderful Apple-shaped mill should stop now?! Nope - we've only just started! Watch social media go crazy as every tech blogger in the world tries to tell you that they know exactly what is being released and what it looks like. Only to have egg on their face two hours later.

The big rumour last week was that there would be two phones announced today - the iPhone 5, which will be Apple's latest, most powerful phone to date, with all the updated technology available, and the iPhone 4S, which will be a cheaper alternative, combining the technology of the iPhone 4 with some updates and upgrades to attempt to crack the Chinese market. Wouldn't surprise me at all if this was to happen, but for some strange reason, I just get the feeling it will be one or the other today... And I'm leaning towards the 4S, seeing as that is what we've seen leaked prototype parts for.

However, I won't speak too soon. After the iPhone 4 was leaked last year by someone leaving a prototype in a 3GS body in a bar somewhere, Apple have been on complete lock down, keeping all elements of the new phones secret and threatening to file a lawsuit against anyone who leaks any information about the new phone. Or phones, if you're being optimistic.

So what else have we heard? Well, today's earlier announcement that Microsoft are discontinuing the Zune, their own portable music player, has fuelled rumours that maybe Apple will revamp the iPod range today too, and that Microsoft are just getting out the market before they make an even bigger loss on their own player. It would make sense - we've seen the iPod line-up change ready for the holiday season every year for the past four years or so. It would be a real money-spinner for them to do it today.

There were also rumours that maybe the Mac line-up would change too. Now, these have cooled off slightly seeing as the new Macs have been released throughout the last 18 months, with an update to one of the machines every three months or so. But why not? It's always worth a punt that Apple will throw something out there.

A few whispers appeared that maybe Apple will shock us all today, by announcing the iPad 3, alongside a new phone and the new iPod range. This was because iOS 5 will be released alongside the new iPhone, and therefore a full upgrade of the whole iOS device catalogue is of course needed. Well, us Apple fans think so anyway. A retina display has apparently been very difficult to create for the iPad, but if they've pulled it off, we may see an appearance at the keynote later.

So, realistically, what are we likely to see today?

Of course, iOS 5 will be seen today. The announcement of the new software in June, given a 'Fall' release date indicated at the time that they were waiting for a new device. Don't be surprised to see new features unveiled today. We've already seen the likes of Newsstand, Reminders and iMessage, but there are talks of Facebook integration into the software, to match that of the already announced Twitter integration. Let's see.

One of the smaller announcements, but one of the most crucial, is that iOS 5 will be based around Delta updates - meaning the days of sitting around waiting for 500MB updates to download are gone. Now, any update to iOS 5 will be dragged down from the cloud, and only items that have been changed will be updated. Thank God for that.

We'll also hear more about iCloud, Apple's new cloud-based storage system. Announced alongside iOS 5 in June, it'll allow for apps, music, photos, documents, and anything else you could possibly wish to store on an iPhone, an iPad, a Mac or an iPod Touch to be updated across all our iOS devices, keeping everything updated quickly and easily without the need to constantly be plugging in your device.

Also expect to see the iPhone 4S. The majority of leaks indicate that this is what we'll be seeing today - based on the iPhone 4, with better, faster, more impressive technology, and potentially a bigger screen too. The Apple Stores in the US have stocked up on unlocked 3GS phones too, so expect to hear something regarding that. It would mean Apple have a tiered phone pricing plan - the 3GS at the low end, the 4 in the middle, and the 4S at the very high end.

Something will happen with the iPod - whether it just be new colours schemes or a complete overhaul. Rumours are floating around that Apple are ready to cut off the iPod Classic and the iPod Shuffle - heightened by the removal of click-wheel applications from the App Store late last month.

Release dates for iOS 5 and the new iPhone are still to be announced, but many believe that iOS 5 will either be made available immediately after the keynote today, or on October 10th, meaning that the iPhone is slated in for the 14th October.

Bar that, we'll just have to wait and see. I'll speak to you AC - After Cupertino.

Let's Talk iPhone.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

 

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

 

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed--and gazed--but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

 

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

 

William Wordsworth, 1888

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Apple Prepare For iPhone 5 Launch On October 4th

Having looked at the dates of upload to GMOAI the last few months, it's fair to say it's been a little neglected. Not a lot has ended up at the end of that URL. But that's what happens when you have many fingers in different pies. So apologies to all, but I promise to get you something AT LEAST once a week.

Today, we're gonna talk Apple. And we will do next Tuesday too. But tonight the official invitations for the iPhone event at Apple HQ in Cupertino next Tuesday were leaked to the world. And not only has social media gone nuts, but so has every Apple geek across this planet - and I'm one of them.

And there it is, in all its wonder. Now, let's decipher it. Obviously, the 'Calendar' is the date of next Tuesday, the 4th of October. The event will begin at 10AM, as 'Clock' says. 'Maps' shows us it'll be at Cupertino, but the most intriguing part is the 'Phone' application, with a big red '1' button on it. Indicating a new phone? Just one?!

Having seen all the rumours and leaks over the last year or so of the new iPhone 5, we've also seen a growing number saying that we're quite likely to see a cheaper version produced too, knows as the iPhone 4S. So why hasn't that been listed too? Will it even happen?! All questions I'm sure we'll see answered over the next seven days.

Equally, there seem to be plenty of rumours flying around about 'secret' features to iOS5, also expected to be rolled out just before the iPhone 5 is in a few weeks' time. We've already seen the announcement of Twitter integration into the core software, but will we see Facebook jump on board too? There seems to be a deep hatred of Google between the two of the biggest companies in the world, and so it would surely make sense to come together and beat Android, and Google+ together. But we'll have to see with that one.

Seemingly, Facebook may feature again next Tuesday, with the announcement of their very long-awaited iPad app. Supposedly ready since May, Facebook are ready to unveil what will be the most-used app on the iPad over the next two weeks, and thus increasing their own personal market share of the social networking market even further. Or so they hope.

There'll be plenty more to look forward to - the inevitable 'One More Thing', Tim Cooks' first keynote as CEO, and all the new features of the new products - but until this time next week, we'll just have to keep second guessing...

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

The University Loneliness

There aren't many times in life that you stand and wave, before turning and feeling something is missing now in your life. The first time you leave home. The day your kids grow up and leave home themselves. When friends emigrate abroad.

But I didn't expect to be making so many of these goodbyes this September, when I had to turn, walk home, and be sat in an empty house for hours on end.

As you're all aware by now, a 'school administrative error', as I am now calling it, purely so I don't continue to get really wound up, caused my university place to blow away aimlessly in the wind to some other poor sod waiting to sort his life out. Letters should have been sent in March, as opposed to handed to me to send on Results Day - ending up in a complete and utter debacle where my place disappeared into thin air. I wouldn't mind so much if it was my fault, or the university's fault. But the fact it was the schools' fault, and it was the simplest thing to sort, makes it all the worse. But hey ho.

Thankfully, there are a fair few of us affected by school-related issues, and therefore we're staying behind - whether it be to re-sit the entire year, re-sit specific subjects, or hold out for an unconditional offer next year, knowing you've got the grades.

But that doesn't make it any easier. Oh no - far from it. Watching your friends disperse across the country, enjoying themselves this week in what is Fresher's Week, whilst I sit watching lunchtime re-runs of Celebrity MasterChef as I've already done all my jobs for the day.

It does beg the question: why don't people have some consideration? I know that if I was in their position, knowing that my best friends were left lagging behind, I'd keep stumn, keep my excitement from them, and keep it off the web. There's no humility - there's a level of arrogance that people are crossing every now and then, which just makes you feel awful. And it's not just me either. Having spoken to friends up and down the land, they're feeling the anguish too.

I don't mind the evenings, as they're what they always have been. But I hate the days - the long, drawn-out days that continue to get longer. With nothing to fill them but two hours of lessons every Friday morning, and the lack of jobs available to those in need of filling time, there is a distinct emptiness that continues to grow and grow, alongside this incessant loneliness of a silent house, and a lack of contact from anyone.

There's only so many Tweets you can send, emails you can check, and songs you can listen to before the echoing silence becomes deafening. And I'm only 48 hours into my 12 month stint at this.

I know a lot of people have been in this position previously, and are now in high-paid, enjoyable jobs, and have great lives. They say the 'Lonely Year', as we've called it, made them who they are today. I also know that I have close friends that have stayed back, because they're in the same position. But without seeing them, or being able to have a proper conversation with them, because our lives are now placing us elsewhere, it becomes more and more difficult.

So I hope you all enjoy your first year at university, and all enjoy the fun nights out and the new friends and experiences you will inevitable make and enjoy. But please - for the sake of people like myself stuck in this void year, stop making it worse for us by posting your fun across your social networking platforms?

The long road to the end goal has only just begun. Prepare yourselves for plenty more of posts like this...

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

9/11: The Day The Earth Stood Still

There are millions upon millions of articles and blog posts about 9/11 that will all have a more provoking meaning than this one. This blog needed writing, especially on this 10 year anniversary we are honouring today.

I remember vividly my own memories of 9/11. I was 8 at the time - and just home from school. I flicked the TV on, ready for the children's programmes to start, but was met with an image of two burning towers. I shouted through to Mum 'The Twin Towers have been hit by two planes' - reading the tagline from the breaking news, before being told to stop making things up. However, when she came through, she was glued to the telly too, watching this grotesque and vulgar act pan out across the world's media.

I remember watching them fall, and the next morning too. Dad's birthday is the 10th September, and Mum's is the 12th - and she just didn't want to celebrate her birthday. The newspapers were all full of the most horrific images, and every TV channel was showing the previous day's events. I remember school being one of the most sombre days to memory - with assemblies and a minute's silence - a very novel idea to an eight year-old. Every lesson had some element of sadness, and nobody wanted to be there. Bearing in mind we're from the UK, it proves quite how big a global impact Bin Laden's scheme had caused.

Nobody could really calculate quite how big an impact this would leave. The Twin Towers were once the tallest buildings on Earth, and now they're a graveyard, and nothing but steel and rubble at ground level. But looking back upon that fateful day, it wasn't the actual attacks that touched me the most, but the reaction of the American people.

Yes, of course there were tears, and sadness, and it was the worst day in American history. But there was a sense of patriotism, and almost a sense of pride that their country would continue to stand tall, and that the attacks would not halt their wonderful America.

That's what I'll remember - there are some poignant interviews on the internet with people who lost loved ones, yet still feel that pride in their country.

Today, we remember the 2,977 people who lost their lives in the events of September 11. We also see all their names unveiled in public for the first time at the World Trade Center Memorial. Today will be a day that will bring back horrific memories, but also that feeling of not being beaten down by Al-Qaeda, and that the American people can never be beaten.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

University: A Blessing In Disguise

The smell of coffee continues to linger in the air. My bed remains unmade. And my results are still sat in the very same spot they have been since Thursday morning.

I've waited a few days to write this for everything to sink in. As you will know, A Level results were published on Thursday morning, with over 670,000 18 year-olds finding out their fate. In my case, I missed out by a grade on getting into my chosen university, which is gutting, but at exactly the same time, the most wonderful news I could have expected.

There are 470,000 places available at university this year, so by the law of averages, 200,000 people will miss out on the most competitive year the education system has ever seen.

Fees have to rise in order to keep our country afloat - I agree with this, and I know I'm probably the only one. With fees increasing, it means universities can now plough this money into keeping education at a quality standard, and will help our graduates compete with the likes of China and Japan again. It also means the government can concentrate their funding elsewhere, on the likes of defence, policing, and grassroots sport.

City University in London rejected my Clearing application, as they could only accept those with grades of ABB. This year, all universities can afford to be exceptionally picky with their grade requirements, knowing full well that most are applying this year to avoid the upcoming fee rises, and thus will fill their course vacancies. I don't begrudge City in any way - I will re-apply next year and I will ensure I take my position at the best journalism course in the land.

But that's the attitude you have to have this year. I've heard stories this week of people who wept because they saw all their friends get in, and they didn't. I was incredibly proud of everyone I saw open their brown envelopes on Thursday - we've been a year group for seven years, and now everyone is going their separate ways to become successful in whatever field they choose to join.

There were those who missed out significantly on their firm and insurance choices, but managed to find a course in Clearing that was the right fit for them. And to them, it was the best of a bad situation, and you can only wish them luck at their decision.

I sat at school for an hour on Thursday after opening my results, just to reflect. I wasn't upset, or depressed by my results - I got ABC, but still didn't get in, so a set of brilliant grades, yet not quite enough. I just sat and worked out my action plan. Did I want to throw away everything I'd worked towards over the last year, to get my place in City, or did I want to accept a degree at a lesser university, purely for the fact of avoiding the fees?

I had a look at what was available, and decided that a year out was the best choice for me. It means I can spend a year of my life doing what I love to do - I can write, I can earn some money, I can travel, I can work towards that coveted place at uni. I can do whatever I want with the next year - and it's the only opportunity I will ever get to do so.

I was in fact offered a place through Clearing to study Journalism. It was in London, which is exactly where I want to be. But would I have rather taken something that wouldn't necessarily have placed me at the top of my game, or would I regret that decision for the rest of my life, knowing full well I could have done better? So I opted out, rejected the place, and now the world is my oyster.

I blogged a few weeks back about a man in Portugal, who inspired me that there are so many different opportunities available to me. Cheap air travel, open boundaries, endless possibilities. I have the chance to become who I want to be now - I can mature over the next year, I can discover my true potential, I can study what I want to, where I want to. I can go and visit the industry's top establishments, and travel the world enjoying the most brilliant year. It may be tough to get back into hard work in 2012, but there is a chance, right now in my life, where a set of crossroads have led me down a path that can take me somewhere, and further my chances in life.

I know that if I died tomorrow, I made the right choice. I know that when I'm 70, and retired, and enjoying my house on the beach, that I won't regret this decision, and that come what may, I can still be good at whatever I choose to do. There is no need to consider money - the fees go up, so does that mean my happiness, and my chances should go down? Not a hope in hell - this next year is what will make me who I will become.

A message to all those who have found themselves in similar positions this week - congratulations on whatever choice you made. Whether it be university, a year out, or the courage to say you've changed your mind, you're a better person for it. If you're yet to make a decision - follow your heart. Trust what it tells you - don't throw everything away because your head tells you so. I've followed mine, I know plenty who have followed theirs, and now have opportunities available to them they never thought they could have had. Nothing can be lost; all is to gain.

Taking a year to consider my options is the most wonderful, brilliant news I could have hoped for - I have a chance to truly do what I wish to do. I can enjoy a year of my life with no pressure, and with a little work, I can go where my heart is set next year. There have been no tears shed, no blood lost - there's actually a smile where there should be a frown.

Because these results aren't the end of the world. They're the start of it.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

University: A Blessing In Disguise

The smell of coffee continues to linger in the air. My bed remains unmade. And my results are still sat in the very same spot they have been since Thursday morning.

I've waited a few days to write this for everything to sink in. As you will know, A Level results were published on Thursday morning, with over 670,000 18 year-olds finding out their fate. In my case, I missed out by a grade on getting into my chosen university, which is gutting, but at exactly the same time, the most wonderful news I could have expected.

There are 470,000 places available at university this year, so by the law of averages, 200,000 people will miss out on the most competitive year the education system has ever seen.

Fees have to rise in order to keep our country afloat - I agree with this, and I know I'm probably the only one. With fees increasing, it means universities can now plough this money into keeping education at a quality standard, and will help our graduates compete with the likes of China and Japan again. It also means the government can concentrate their funding elsewhere, on the likes of defence, policing, and grassroots sport.

City University in London rejected my Clearing application, as they could only accept those with grades of ABB. This year, all universities can afford to be exceptionally picky with their grade requirements, knowing full well that most are applying this year to avoid the upcoming fee rises, and thus will fill their course vacancies. I don't begrudge City in any way - I will re-apply next year and I will ensure I take my position at the best journalism course in the land.

But that's the attitude you have to have this year. I've heard stories this week of people who wept because they saw all their friends get in, and they didn't. I was incredibly proud of everyone I saw open their brown envelopes on Thursday - we've been a year group for seven years, and now everyone is going their separate ways to become successful in whatever field they choose to join.

There were those who missed out significantly on their firm and insurance choices, but managed to find a course in Clearing that was the right fit for them. And to them, it was the best of a bad situation, and you can only wish them luck at their decision.

I sat at school for an hour on Thursday after opening my results, just to reflect. I wasn't upset, or depressed by my results - I got ABC, but still didn't get in, so a set of brilliant grades, yet not quite enough. I just sat and worked out my action plan. Did I want to throw away everything I'd worked towards over the last year, to get my place in City, or did I want to accept a degree at a lesser university, purely for the fact of avoiding the fees?

I had a look at what was available, and decided that a year out was the best choice for me. It means I can spend a year of my life doing what I love to do - I can write, I can earn some money, I can travel, I can work towards that coveted place at uni. I can do whatever I want with the next year - and it's the only opportunity I will ever get to do so.

I was in fact offered a place through Clearing to study Journalism. It was in London, which is exactly where I want to be. But would I have rather taken something that wouldn't necessarily have placed me at the top of my game, or would I regret that decision for the rest of my life, knowing full well I could have done better? So I opted out, rejected the place, and now the world is my oyster.

I blogged a few weeks back about a man in Portugal, who inspired me that there are so many different opportunities available to me. Cheap air travel, open boundaries, endless possibilities. I have the chance to become who I want to be now - I can mature over the next year, I can discover my true potential, I can study what I want to, where I want to. I can go and visit the industry's top establishments, and travel the world enjoying the most brilliant year. It may be tough to get back into hard work in 2012, but there is a chance, right now in my life, where a set of crossroads have led me down a path that can take me somewhere, and further my chances in life.

I know that if I died tomorrow, I made the right choice. I know that when I'm 70, and retired, and enjoying my house on the beach, that I won't regret this decision, and that come what may, I can still be good at whatever I choose to do. There is no need to consider money - the fees go up, so does that mean my happiness, and my chances should go down? Not a hope in hell - this next year is what will make me who I will become.

Taking a year to consider my options is the most wonderful, brilliant news I could have hoped for - I have a chance to truly do what I wish to do. I can enjoy a year of my life with no pressure, and with a little work, I can go where my heart is set next year. There have been no tears shed, no blood lost - there's actually a smile where there should be a frown.

Because these results aren't the end of the world. They're the start of it.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

The Revolution. What Twitter Means To Me.

At this precise moment in time, I'm in the middle of a desert, with a large town to the left, and endless protruding mountains to the right. We're taking the five hour drive from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park, here in the good state of California.

To fill time when on holiday, I read. Like most people, books have become a stalwart in the suitcase before we jet off to some big destination. Currently, I'm dipping in and out of a book called 'Twitchhiker', by Paul Smith. It's the story of how Paul travelled the globe, purely from the generosity of his Twitter followers.

As most of you know, I'm a big fan of Twitter. I've been addicted since January 2009, six months before the Big Boom - and oh how it's changed. Growth has been undertaken by Twitter, whilst leaving the core ethos of the social networking site intact. It is still a place to meet new people, follow those people who make you smile and laugh, and a tool used by many to revolutionise the world as we know it.

Everyone has a Twitter story, though. A virtual life never before seen on such a global scale. The Revolution really had taken hold, and changed the way we interact with each other.

I mean, how many friends have you made on Twitter? Met anyone through it? Taken part in a big event from just one 140 character Tweet? Yep, I have.

Over the last two and a half years, I've met many a face who has made me laugh, get angry, feel sorry for, or weep at.

I met Ewan (@Ewbz), Isobel's dad, via Twitter. A very modern twist on a relationship. We Tweet and share stories and links all the time. I was asked once if Ewan and I actually ever speak, or just Tweet each other...

Another friend I've got to know even better is Marty (@nymrtz). I've never actually net Marty, but have known him since 2006. We met via a football forum, and since then we've stayed in touch. Whether it be a message on Facebook, a quick chat via MSN, or now several Tweets a week, I feel that I know him as if I always have.

There's always the lucky follow, too. As a massive Man United fan, following United-related accounts seemed logical. Stumbling across a retweet from one of these accounts led me to Stretty News (@StrettyNews). As many of you now know, I write pieces for the website, and have met a lot of really great people because of it. Another strike of luck for Adam. 1-0.

How about those people you've watched succeed? I've followed Poppy Dinsey (@PoppyD) for a VERY long time now, and watched What I Wore Today (@WIWT) go from strength to strength over the last 18 months. A new site about to launch, and her face in every newspaper - a job well done.

Then there was Mr Chris Floyd (@chrisfloyduk). A brilliant photographer, Chris had the idea to take 140 photos of his Twitter followers, which Isobel and I were very lucky to be a part of. Admittedly, we were probably the most uptight, annoying people Chris had to work with for the project, but in hindsight, it was a great opportunity. Plus Chris is one of the nicest blokes you could ever meet.

My best Twitter story has to be that of Lewis Wiltshire (@LewisWiltshire). A very early follow, as Lewis was the Editor of the BBC Sport website. A few early Tweets, and soon he became almost like a mentor, helping me choose different paths for different outcomes. Certainly someone I'll be keeping in touch with.

Of course, there are countless more people, tales and stories that I could spend all day chatting about. With over 300m Twitter users, there must be an infinite amount of links made and friendships created through a small set of characters.

Many question Twitter's purpose. Some see it as a way to interact with like-minded people. Others view it as a complete waste of time. Personally, I see it as a tool that can help change your life.

Okay, that sounds horrifically cheesy, but think about it - all it takes is 140 characters to make a new friend, get offered a job, or make a career for yourself. I've seen all three happen, so it's gotta be possible!

Agree with me? Fancy making a new friend?! Follow me on Twitter - I'm @Adam9309!

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

A Land Far, Far Away

So I finally return after two weeks flitting between Europe and the UK. I'd love to say on business, but I was on a bit of a jolly, really.

I spent a week in the Algarve, in Portugal, with my best friends on our big holiday after final exams. We had a great trip, despite it being in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

Towards the end of the week, we went to a small fishing village called Guia, famed as the 'founder' of piri-piri chicken. We stopped outside a small art gallery, which had some jewellery in the window. Bearing in mind Isobel was there, we HAD to go and have a look. Cheers love.

This art gallery was owned by a man called David Haines, who was Welsh. He and his wife moved to Guia 15 years ago, where they decided to open something they both loved to do - to paint and to create.

I took a look at the beautiful art whilst they looked at beads and bracelets, and an hour later, we left. Why did it take that long?

Because David was a very inspirational sort of bloke.

Our chat started very slowly, but by the end, we'd gone round the world in chat. His son has moved to China for a few months, and has been taking holidays trekking through New Zealand. He has travelled himself, and has told us he should go round the world whilst we can.

It's quite an incredible life, and thoughts started ticking that actually, the world IS so small these days, and everything is available to you on a plane. In 36 hours, I could be in Australia, via Germany, Russia and Singapore. The return journey could take in Argentina, the US and France. It's so easy to travel, so why don't we?!

Price is obviously he main factor. Time is another. But desire is certainly not one - I'm sure everyone has somewhere in the world they would adore to visit. I personally want to travel to Berlin, and travel to every state in the US, likewise visit China and Japan. But that's just me.

Every country is so, so different to one another. Compare the UK to the USA - supposedly two of the most similar countries in the world. Visit them both, and then tell me the same...

So go visit. Go travel. Go see the world whilst you can. If David can inspire me, he can inspire you. Why not go visit him in Guia?!

Tell him the five nutters who hate Cliff Richard sent you.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

News of the World Scandal: Battleaxe Brooks Saves Her Ego

After 168 years, this Sunday will see the last edition of the News of the World come through the printing press, and end up in your newsagent. I won't bore you with the details; you're bound to have seen it plastered all over every news and media outlet in the UK, and around the world. The phone-hacking scandal under investigation by the police has exploded, and News International, who own NOTW, have decided that the best course of action is to completely wind up the organisation, and cease operations.

Now, I'm not going to write reams and reams of endless jargon today - that's not my job. There will be plenty written about this for months. But this is just farcical.

Rebekah Brooks, the former Editor of the NOTW, and now Chief Executive of News International, has managed to scrape through this with her job, but without her dignity. Brooks was the Editor when this phone-hacking supposedly happened. Remember, we still have nothing confirmed bar a private detective's word...

Brooks apparently announced the news that NOTW would be dissolved today 'in tears', and after immense pressure from the public, 'offered her resignation last night.' Now I don't believe that in the slightest - I think it's a very shrewd, quite vulgar move by Rupert Murdoch to keep a close ally near.

The compulsory redundancies from Brook's defiance in staying in her role have led to even further repercussions within the News International group - the Sun's sub-editors are rumoured to have walked out and asked the NUJ for advice on strike action. What Murdoch is about to force through will destroy the very essence of why he is so successful.

I've been Tweeting alongside the news all day, trying to keep on top of the industry that I wish to enter. But I really do fear for the print media industry now - especially tabloids. A lack of advertising within newspapers in which scandals takes place will kill them off. Web journalism will sky-rocket over the next few years as the print media industry realise that a dying art will inevitably crash.

That's why Murdoch launched The Daily.

Brook's should not be an employee of News International this evening. News of the World should still be in existence. To save herself, she's just demolished the livelihoods of families up and down the country. She's ruined lives.

Nothing can take that away from her now.

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com

Music Musings - Beyonce Is No 4-ce To Be Reckoned With

My return is now permanent, thanks to the end of exams. Expect a horrific stream of selfless plugging on my Twitter feed.

Yes yes, I know, worst pun known to man, but it is unbelievably true.

Yesterday, Mrs Jay-Z, otherwise known as Beyonce Knowles, released her fourth album in the UK, and today in the US. The record, called '4', funnily enough, is a far step from the likes of I Am... Sasha Fierce, but has stripped back all the big drama to the old Destiny's Child days. It is a work of art, rather than a record. It is something you would happily have on a loop all day. I've waxed lyrical about how good Lady Gaga's new album is, likewise Elbow's, but Beyonce's record reinvents her sound, but at the same time manages to keep it the same - something the previous two haven't done. It really is quite special.

So, having spent the last two days having a few listens, in typical GMOAI fashion, let's take you for a quick spin round the album...

The record begins with the beautiful 1+1, a ballad that takes us right back to the album tracks from her first album Dangerously In Love. Performed as part of her headlining gig at Glastonbury on Sunday, the song captivated the audience, albeit with slightly creepy lyrics like 'Make love to me', having just told everyone the song is all about peace and being anti-war...

I Care has a heartbeat strewn throughout with the world's most catchy drum beat, and sounds like a cross between Leona Lewis and Nicki Minaj, with her smooth R&B vocals over the top. The synthesised layers from I Miss You give a soft '80's feel, and take the tempo right back down. Beyonce doesn't use power in her voice, making it a quite stunning record, combining her new sound with the old sounds we all know and love. Even the slow fade out isn't expected in the slightest, and immediately pulls up the next one.

B's new single, Best Thing I Never Had, has a wonderful orchestral backdrop, with strings and the piano making up the foundations for the synthesisers to make her voice sound quite so incredible. The heavy drums through the chorus, and singalong backing vocals make this one a big crowdpleaser, and the message of revenge, and how karma has bitten back makes this one something everyone can relate to. Not the one you want sung to you, put it that way.

Kanye makes an uncredited appearance on Party, which also features vocals from Andre 3000 - and it's verging on hip hop. His rap breaks the whole thing up, and adds a different element to a B track that we haven't properly seen since Deja Vu with Jay-Z. Yet Beyonce makes this one work, not Andre, and the chorus of 'We like to party, ay, ay, ay' creates images of this track appearing in every nightclub across the globe over the coming weeks. Rather Die Young is quite a disappointing follow-up to Party, and will be a track that will work on tour, but not on the charts. The repetitive verses just don't work here, but having seen that Luke Steele, of Empire of the Sun fame, wrote the song, you can begin to understand the ideas behind it.

Start Over has an African feel to it, and Beyonce begins to pull it out the bag here. Up to this point, the record is actually just quite a good one, but from here onwards, it's something special. A full-on emotional song, presumably about trying to break up with someone, it is something you can feel, and begin to 'interact' with. If it's even possible to interact with music....

But then comes my favourite moment from the whole album - Love On Top. Now this record could quite have easily been from an early '90's Mariah album, and has that fun, soulful production to it. Backing vocals are high, lots of horns, unbelievably catchy chorus, wonderfully-cheesy quadruple key change, and plenty of smiles. I mean, towards the end of it, only the cats could hear. Lyrically, it could win Eurovision, but in its final form, this will be a massive, massive summer smash if it gets a release.

Countdown received massive airplay when initially leaked, and the continual countdown from 10 to 1 adds a strange element to a track that wouldn't go amiss in a carnival. Again, very hip-hop, but the chorus reminds me a lot of Signs, another track from Dangerously In Love, that had a listy feel. This just works. For some strange reason, mind you. It really shouldn't.

A big build-up at the start of End Of Time continues the carnival theme, and just makes you want to dance. Beyonce seems to want to get through lyrics very quickly on this album, but it got big cheers on Sunday at Glastonbury. The beats are back, and the horns make a triumphant return, and this could quite easily have been straight off a Shakira record. Found myself humming 'Say you'll never let me go' all day as well. Beautifully produced, too.

Diane Warren appears as writer for the penultimate track, and it has a very Diane Warren sound too - if you know what I mean. Heavily strings based, I Was Here is a track I personally find really disappointing. Not a fan of Warren, but this really does just take the mick - repetitive, slow, horribly dull, and made even worse by what follows - Run The World (Girls), the track that was lead single off the album, and is a real grower. Heavy, heavy beats, cracking bridge throughout, catchy chorus and amazing dance moves to pull off in any club - this is the one that just tops off the record.

I know it is all very wordy, and song-by-song doesn't do it justice - you need to hear the whole thing to really appreciate quite how good an album this is. Yes, there are moments that based on personal opinion, it isn't great - but doesn't every album have that? It's quite brilliant, and won't get as much publicity as it deserves. So go get it. Please?

And as added incentive to go find the album, here's Run The World (Girls), from Sunday night's Glastonbury show!

Taken from General Musings of an Idiot: http://www.gmoai.com