From working day and night trying to play that bigger life game I was telling my loyal blog readers about, I actually went on holiday (photos to follow) to Rhodos, and am now trying to settle back into life in rainy England.

I’ve also gone back to song writing too, as I have a lot of new shows coming up which require new music, so stay tuned. In the meantime if you’d like to hear something I’ve done previously, by all mean please check out ‘Cry’. It’s about the plight in Sri Lanka of many INNOCENT victims. More to come on all of the mentioned topics, but for now, Good night London!

After watching Katie and my beautiful friends on Sunday night, it got me thinking about how much mundane knowledge we have, and how much more important it is to have knowledge that serves a better purpose. I truly feel that the only way knowledge can be in any way powerful is if you actually use it for the better of either your life and/or the lives of others.

So if you don’t know who Katie is, I’ll summarise. Katie Piper was a former model and TV presenter who had sulphuric acid thrown on her face by a man who was arranged by her ex boyfriend. This ended up in her entire face being rebuilt and after much trauma, Katie decided to raise awareness about burn victims.

What, why and how?

Acid burn is a common form domestic violence, often as a result of a love gone wrong, and as a form of punishment.

Countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh,Uganda and many many more have seen an increase in the rise of this sort of violence, and with the heavy sunshine and heat, the faces of these victims suffer even more. For many survivors, they lose the use of their hands, they lose their eyesight and for many become social outcasts. This means the ability to earn a living, and fend for themselves is severely reduced.

Charitable organisations such as ASTI help provide support to these victims, in countries where this is more and more frequent. Treatment for such severe forms of acid burn in poverty stricken countries are very rare, and so charities often provide a platform for new skills, pressure garments for survivors to wear to help soothe the skin and much more.

Now that you’ve learnt the basics about acid burn, hopefully it has got you thinking about something that touches so many lives even if it isn’t our own personally. Judgement is easy, living with judgement is trauma. If you’re in England and would like to do something to benefit the victims of such a cruel act of violence please click here for more information.

Love the quote, and it got me thinking.

Have you ever made a bucket list? My bucket list is constantly expanding the more I tick as completed.

However, there are a couple of to do’s that I’ve put on there because it doesn’t matter how many times I get to see it, every time I will treasure it and make another new memory. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Bucket List, this is basically a list of everything you’d want to do if you could do anything and if tomorrow ends up being your last day on Earth.

Having spoken to a loved one today, this got me thinking as it sometimes feel as though everything I have seen I’d like to see again, but also to simply create new memories right now.

Here’s one I did recently, which I yearned for on my bucket list and finally got to do, but not even by my own doing. I was lucky enough to go on a dinner cruise down the River Thames. Why was this on my bucket list? Because it was a yearning, a materialistic want and a feeling I never thought I’d experience.

What’s the latest addition to my Bucket list or re-entry? Learning Ballroom dancing

What’s on your bucket list?

I would like to say at the outlet that this isn’t meant to be a world full of the same views. Nor is this post veering towards a bias. This is really a very simple question – when it comes to sport, do people care about the politics of a country, or do they support a team whose players they admire and love? If the latter is this case, does that make these people wrong or merely lovers of a game?

Case in point – the Cricket finals today – India versus Sri Lanka. There is plenty of banter on Social media highlighting the ever present amount of racism and biasness to this particular game – a lot to do with the politics of Sri Lanka which as much as everyone would love for it to be over, it still realistically speaking won’t be in many people’s hearts and minds.

But let’s leave this one game aside for a second and think – when it comes to any sport and two teams are playing – Team X is from a poverty stricken country where there’s barely enough to eat in many families but they have great players – Team Y are from a wealthy country with great players to add to the mix. So would you feel more inclined to support Team X due to their poverty status country, or would you choose them due to the fact that you love the team and their abilities?

I personally, don’t really understand cricket, so my interest in this game today isn’t apparent. However to many, the solidarity lies in their one love of cricket , and so moves any sort of political stance out of the way.

So here’s the thing – for me, with any game- be it the game of life, or just a game of monopoly or tennis etc etc, one thing is for certain – there will always be some element of drama. I actually like the twists and turns of a good tennis match when a player suddenly winces in agony and the trainer comes on, and after a fair bit of magic fingers, the player is fit and well and fights till the end only to lose… these game make for great watching!  So could it be the case,that we should put our ethical stances aside, or should we continue these stances into our entertainment viewings also?

There’s plenty more where this came from!

So, I’ve noticed something. It’s pretty obvious really. I’m writing this in a pretty jovial mood, so anyone looking for some die-hard tips on SEO, whilst I do discuss these at length on a work basis – this isn’t the aim of the post.

But here’s 3 ways to get noticed on Search, along with the BEST way.

3) Have something great to say, and don’t just say it, show you care – if it’s in the usefulness of your information (which admittedly this one post isn’t really that useful) , or it’s in the engagement of your audience. (In this case, my audience is anyone who actually likes what I write or draw or sing about or eat! )

2) Be visual – I personally can’t stand websites that are all text, or that simply don’t have anything to feast your eyes. I also happening to be closely linked to a certain person who seems to still be at the childhood stage of reading anything so long as it has pictures!

1) The BEST way to get noticed is to have a unique name. I’m lucky in that way – though some of you probably still can’t figure out how to pronounce it – there is a post on it here, it’s still a great name in my opinion. Purely because, my parents half made my name up due to astrological,numerological,traditional,cultural beliefs. If you’d like me to expand, please let me know, that will be another post. Having a unique name means that so long as you have great content, you will be noticed on Search, and people tend to remember it. Also this goes without saying really, but hey, this is supposed to be informative – if you have a great name, drop it in a couple of times – new readers don’t know who you are do they?!

So there you have it, top 3 not to difficult to implement ways of getting noticed.

Lots of loving!

Mathurini

So here goes, I spent 2 days in NYC a good couple of months ago and all I can say is – I can’t wait to go back. Nonetheless, one of those days was spent with a very dear friend who knew exactly where to take me when she heard I was coming. (She knew me, when my room had chocolate hiding places) Back to the blog title – yes Max Brenner – chocolate by the bald man. If you haven’t been here – I would describe it as – anything you dream about in chocolate, you can get it. Chocolate pizza anyone?

Voila.Complete with sweetness such as marshmallows,chocolate sprinkles and the list goes on.

This isn’t going to be a review as such, I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Safe to say though, if you’re a chocaholic like me, you will LOVE this place. Go go go, and Max Brenner – PLEASE open a store in London – I’ll happily do your marketing and PR

Plug over,time for more sweet pics!

So what are you waiting for? If you’re in NYC, GO to Max Brenner – if you’re not make that trip

This place has everything – if you’re not a huge chocolate fan they do have savoury and milk chocolate for those who like their chocolate very high in sugary content!

‘Someone like you’, like many of her other songs are pretty sad and vulnerable in its meaning, however Adele ,can really just sing anything. Honestly, have you heard her cover Cheryl’s Promise This? She’s just WOW.

SO this is a quick post, to say Adele – on behalf of musicians and music lovers that like what I’d like to call ‘raw talent’ – we are so very proud of you. Let’s hope America values you as much as we do!

I would love to see a duet with Adele and Paolo Nutini, what do you all think? Or anyone else you’d like to see her duet with?

Black Swan, perhaps due to the sheer volumes of Facebook updates, I was expecting to know what to expect when I sat waiting for the film to begin. However, what befalled my eyes was something I totally didn’t see coming.

I don’t think I’m going to cover any new ground in writing this, nor was this my aim. However, the real thread to the movie, wasn’t just the outstanding performances by Natalie Portman,Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis (and pretty much everyone else, those these three core really shone for me) , but the ENTIRE soundtrack.

Aronofsky and  Clint Mansell did an absolutely stirling job with the soundtrack – with changes from the original Tchaikovsky‘s ballet, the soundtrack complimented the thrilling and rapidly intense film and action perfectly.

For me, the simplicity of the storyline coupled with the intense darkness of it all, made Black Swan the beauty that it was, but all the more thrilling and mind blowing to watch.

One of my favourite lines of the film by character Thomas Leroy is this :

Perfection is not just about control. It’s also about letting go. Surprise yourself so you can surprise the audience. Transcendence! Very few have it in them.

The idea that this obsession that Natalie Portman’s character has with perfection can inevitably be both creative yet destructive. To me, it sums up so many of the big debates in modern times – from the increasing number of youth desiring different bodies,shapes and sizes, through to an overall increase in the perception that sometimes, what is in the media = beautiful. Although, I don’t agree with that notion, I do think that the film does make you think about how far people are willing to go for perfection – not just in the movie, but it really did have me thinking about perfection as a whole. Isn’t perfection, a state of mind then?

Anyway, I loved the film, I thought Natalie Portman was absolutely stunning in the film, I think this brought out Natalie Portman into her own, her own style, her own ‘perfection’ if you will.

I leave you with this, and I’m inserting one of my favourite tracks from the movie, which has been on repeat all evening!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyUX8MIUgms&feature=related

I’d love to hear what you my lovely readers thought if you’ve seen it? Did you love it/hate it? If you’ve just come across my blog, hello and welcome!

I am all for catchy songs, a brilliant bass line, throw in some well written rap and I’m happy. I’m just as happy with one instrument and some outstanding vocals, or lots of instruments and no vocals- it’s all good. What I have felt for a little while now though, has been this : To what extent has music crossed over to being just an expression of people’s beliefs? For the most, I think it’s been like that forever, the only variant is that the beliefs being portrayed now are often territory that has not been seen in such a light before, in such an obvious way.

Cue Rihanna and Gaga and a host of other celebrities whose songs are increasingly more obvious in its sexual tones, and whose videos, well,don’t leave anything to the imagination – except – did anyone introduce them to clothes?

Let’s not be mistaken here, musically I think Gaga is brilliant and I would love to see her live for the sheer talent and entertainment that you know an artist like her will provide. I’m just wondering, if expression has always existed because music is a form of expression- to what extent is mainstream music really polluting our already corrupt minds? But more importantly, what will be left of having a childhood? I don’t remember knowing HALF of what v v young children know these days, and its fair share is through questions arising via the likes of Rihanna songs/videos and many others.

There used to be a time, when music was actually based on music. Not on how little someone wore, and how much this got marketed and PR’d with. The digital age is sure bringing about its changes!