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Friday Aug 08, 2008
Speak up, Speak out!
The other week we published a new rant called Shy and mighty. The writer, Rosemary Munro, is angry that drugs companies get away with promoting pills that can apparently 'cure' shyness. She says:
"Tests have shown that this drug is more likely to make us approach strangers and give money to charity. Great, so we're going to end up broke and drugged, but at least we'll be sociable."
I think I can see her point. But what this rant has highlighted for us is that although drugs are probably not the way forward, shyness isn't to be scoffed at. It's a serious issue for many and lots of young people struggle to overcome it.
Just yesterday I attended a fun and useful training session on public speaking run through SpeakersBank. What really struck me about it was the trainer herself. Sam asked us to perform a two-minute speech on something about ourselves. Being asked to talk about myself is something I really dread and so I asked her for a quick example. I was blown away by her speech in which she explained how she was painfully shy in her teens and realised at university that it's something that she had to confront. She was persuaded to join a toast masters club and from there built her confidence on a weekly basis. These days she's an acclaimed speech trainer who has helped young people win awards for their speeches.
Now, the idea of toast masters sounded terrible to me, but I've since looked into it, and it sounds much better than I thought! Here's some information:
Toastmasters International has 200 clubs in the UK and Ireland and nearly 5000 members...nothing to do with red-coated gentleman by the way! The first club was formed in USA in the 1920s at a YMCA to help young men build their confidence and develop their communication skills. Now there are 10,500 clubs worldwide and members receive a monthly magazine and work through an internationally recognised programme of speaking assignments.
So, if you're struggling with shyness, and would like to try out something new and exciting where everyone else is in the same boat, have a look to see if there's anything in your area.
Posted by Helen ( 10:57 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Tuesday Aug 05, 2008
You're great, you are...
Here's something worth posting to the side of your monitor, or forwarding to your boss. It's seven reasons why messing about on MSN and having your headphones on at work is a good indicator that you are actually far more of a productive worker than your 55-year-old colleague who dutifully never Ebay's during office hours and switches their mobile off whilst they are at their desk.
Of course, that doesn't mean you can't take the piss... just because turn up in t-shirt that hasn't ever been introduced to an iron doesn't qualify you as some sort of workaholic genuis. But it does mean that if you are good at your job, you can hold your head high knowing that you don't have to wear a suit or ignore those pesky Facebook pokes when you are meant to be working.
Oh, and whilst we're at it ... you might find our new article on monitoring at work interesting.
Olly
Posted by Olly ( 9:06 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Friday Aug 01, 2008
I'm getting old...
I've realised I'm getting old. Yesterday I got home and discovered my new mobile has been delivered. I'm not a technology-geek who has to have the latest gear; the reason I was getting this phone was I'd had the other one for 18 months and it was looking tatty and I could get a new phone for nowt.
So yesterday should have been a relatively exciting day: open the box, put the sim card and battery in, plug it into the charger and off we go. But no. Despite the fact it's exactly the same make as my existing phone (and as the last five or six phones I've had), it appears I am unable to use it. I don't mean it doesn't work: I mean I just can't get it to do what I want it to do.
Firstly it wouldn't copy my contacts from my old phone (and when it did it's re ordered them so now everyone has individual entries for each number they possess). Then I couldn't get it not to keep going online when I thought I'd pressed cancel. And I still haven't managed to work out how to easily lock the keypad.
Maybe this is what happens when you reach a certain age, or maybe it's just that in order to justify bringing out new phones, they need to get more and more complicated. Lukcily, it appears I'm not the only one who thinks phones are becoming more difficult to use.
Posted by Olly ( 8:14 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Thursday Jul 17, 2008
What songs can't you get out of your head?
A few months ago, I went to see the Sugababes at the Royal Albert Hall (I have a longstanding thing for the Sugababes, and it was a Christmas present from a good friend). The support act was Gabriella Cilmi, and she was so terrible that we left the hall and waited in the corridor for the main act to appear.
But now, I can't stop singing her single Sweet About Me. It is the most horribly addictive tune I know, and despite my best intentions, I love it.
It's not my favourite song of the mo at the mo: that goes to the equally addictive Jason Mraz's I'm Yours. Except Jason Mraz is one of my favourite performers, especially live. Anyone who can get his whole audience to sing along in the manner of four-year-olds wins in my book.
I'm also really liking the current Madonna song Give It 2 Me.
So, knowing that the best way of getting rid of a song you can't stop singing is to find another one; what is doing your ears in at the moment?
Olly
Posted by Olly ( 4:28 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Tuesday Jul 08, 2008
Pick me! Pick me!
When I was about 10 or 11 all I ever hoped for was a Blue Peter badge. They were the holy grail of children's television and I wanted one more than anything. Every time the show ran a competition I was positive that my painting, poem or photograph would be deemed worthy of a badge. I used to scream at Anthea Turner and Tim Vincent to "Say my name", but they never did.
I had to wait until I was 12 until I received a letter that contained what I'd always wanted. I'd entered a Blue Peter poster competition for the London Underground and had drawn a Beefeater with a tube sign in the background. It wasn't anything special but I thought I might as well send it in; they'd probably reward me for my persistency if not for my artistic talents.
Twelve years on and my hopes are slightly more demanding; a house, a car, a £10 million pound lottery win. Who knows, maybe if I scream loud enough I'll get these send in the post as well.
In TheSite.org's latest survey we want to know your hopes and fears. Let us know and you'll get your own prize, a £5 Amazon gift voucher.
Posted by Chris Denholm ( 10:38 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Tuesday Jul 01, 2008
How much booze do you really drink?
After seeing a recent Government alcohol campaign on TV the other day, I wondered whether the scales for measuring alcohol units were actually very clear at all. We may order 'a pint' or a 'double whisky and Coke', but in actual fact the strength of drink and measure you receive can greatly affect the number of units you drink.
It all becomes a little confusing, so I took to the streets and soberly asked your opinion for our latest Vox Pops video...
It also makes me wonder if we should all adapt our language and start asking at our local for, "Two and a half units of bitter, please."
Posted by Chris ( 4:45 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Monday Jun 30, 2008
Car functions and basic car maintenance
When the editorial team started thinking of what new video tours to produce we had a huge list of options to cover. We started our video tours off with a tour of a GUM clinic, but thought we'd move away from sexual health to something very different and a bit more practical. So... what is it we're allowed to start doing at 17 and hopefully by the time we are 24 are much more comfortable with? Driving!
We've produced two videos with expert advice from the Driving Standards Agency and RAC to help you when you get in a car for the very first time. So if you're having cold sweats just at the thought of remembering where all the pedals are and where your hands should sit on the steering wheel, then fear not, we've just uploaded TheSite.org's Learning to drive: car essentials video, using YouthNet volunteer actors who feature on screen and in the voiceovers, and my very own little Ka in the starring role 
But when you've finally passed your test and you're out on the roads on your own (yikes), what on earth do you do about filling up with petrol, oil and water? And what do you do if a bulb goes? If you're lucky enough to have someone to help you out then great, but for those of us who don't and aren't keen on being swindled by your local garage for simple service checks, then watch the Basic car maintenance video to get an idea of the elements you'll need to maintain, and how often. Luckily for me when I took my test all those years ago (11!) I didn't have to do the 'Show me, tell me' part of the test, but nowadays it's a necessity, so if you're learning, make sure you prep up well in advance on various safety checks before the day of your test. And if you're driving instructor hasn't mentioned this to you yet, maybe it's time to find a new one...
Don't forget, if you want to cast your vote or comments on the videos then visit TheSite.org on You Tube.
Posted by Julia ( 1:48 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Friday Jun 27, 2008
Culinary kings
If you're anything like me in the kitchen (utterly useless) a few cooking lessons wouldn't go amiss. It's not that I'm ignorant about ingredients or that I don't know any good recipes, it's because I'm the most impatient person ever when it comes to eating. If a tasty meal comes to mind I want it immediately. When I want chips I'll zap them in the microwave and then blast them in the oven at full heat. They normally come out burnt as hell but I've found that ketchup masks the charcoal taste very effectively. It drives my housemate crazy! He's constantly turning on the extractor fan and spraying air freshener so the neighbours don't think we're on fire.
Last year TheSite.org met Lloyd and Daryl, two up-and-coming chefs who had been working on Jamie Oliver's Fifteen apprenticeship scheme. The scheme, for 18-24 year-olds, takes budding chefs and trains them up to a professional standard. Most of the apprentices were unemployed or out of education before joining the programme and now have a bright future in the restaurant industry.
It's been five years since the scheme started and Fifteen have recently started accepting applications for this year's apprentices. If you want to apply you can fill in an online application form here. The deadline is July 15.
Posted by Chris Denholm ( 9:18 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Wednesday Jun 25, 2008
Who can stop the violence?
Next week Channel 4 launches a new series of programmes called Disarming Britain. The cynic in me says that they are "cashing in" on a serious issue; but I also passionately believe that talking about what is happening is a huge part of the solving the problem. And it is a problem: 15 young people have been died as a result of gun or knife violence since the start of the year.
Last night on the train home I listened to the BBC Radio Five Live Simon Mayo interview with Barry and Margaret Mizen, the parents of Jimmy Mizen who was killed last month on his 16th birthday. It was the most humbling piece of audio I've heard in a very long time. Sadly it's no longer available as a podcast, but it should be heard by any young person before they choose to carry a knife or gun.
I hope that Disarming Britain does what no-one else really seems to be doing; and talking to the young people affected by the violence. Too much of what I've seen and read in the papers is from commentators staring over their walls and looking in to the estates rather than from the people who are actually living with gang violence around them.
The Disarming Britain promo is very impressive, as a piece of film. Whether the series will make a difference is another matter.
Posted by Olly ( 11:01 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[2]
Friday Jun 20, 2008
School prom... anything to write home about?
I love reading news about the UK from other places (well, tbh I'm a news junkie so I like reading news regardless).
But this is a story about the increase in UK teenagers having proms from the US-based Wall Street Journal. The story suggests that we've "seen the events in movies like American Pie and television shows such as The O.C., and they want the chance to dress up and rent limousines".
Back when I left school, we had a sixth-form ball at the local hotel. We dressed up in black-tie---well, some people did---and convinced the bar-staff we were all eighteen.
So, are proms anything new, or have we just changed the name and made them more commercial?
PS. The story also suggests that Britain is a "land of school uniforms, rigorous exams and ivy-covered school halls".
Posted by Olly ( 8:40 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Wednesday Jun 18, 2008
Teenage kicks...
I get a bit annoyed by Fergal Sharkey. Yesterday he was in all the papers and stuff being quoted in relation to a survey by the University of Hertfordshire that suggested the average teenager's iPod/other mp3 player has 800 illegally downloaded tracks on it.
His quote was roughly that back in the day he was swapping tapes of stuff behind the bikesheds, but that was sort of OK, but look at the bad kids these days downloading stuff. Does he not remember the infamous Home Taping is Killing Music campaign, which pretty much said the same about home taping as the music industry is saying about downloading now?
What's that betting that had a young Mr Sharkey had the facility to quickly copy a track as an mp3 he would have been happily doing so?
The music industry does appear to be like a spoilt child who's had their toys taken away. Their cheese has moved, it's time they not only recognised that but actually acted on it rather than running around complaining.
Posted by Olly ( 8:57 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Friday Jun 06, 2008
Home health testing kits
Let's be honest, going to the doctor is a bit of a drag. The idea of testing yourself for something you're convinced you have sounds very tempting. But in reality, are the tests reliable enough? I'm known among my close friends and family for being a bit, well, over dramatic, when it comes to my health. When my other half told me about Spike Milligan who wrote 'I told you I was ill' on his gravestone I actually laughed so hard and for so long he thought I had totally lost it. So did the other people on the train. But it sounded just like something I could imagine wanting to say back to people who didn't believe me when I told them my worries (mild diabetes was the last one – this turned out to be a hormonal sugar craving, phew!) Then there's my early arthritis (sleeping on a mattress on the floor syndrome) Anyway...
So when I published the latest two articles on Home health kits and DIY STI kits it got me thinking how if I was to do a bowel cancer test, for example, and it came up abnormal, how would I react? I would probably be demanding an emergency doctor's appointment there and then! But why go through the trauma of testing at home in the first place? The result I may or may not get could in fact not even mean I have cancer and so I would have spent an unimaginable night or two panicking that my days were numbered. It's seriously not worth the stress. But when it comes to STI kits, I guess these can be a bit more helpful if it's for conditions that won't kill you, but at the same time how far do you go? Is getting an HIV test result through the post the best way of dealing with things if it's bad news? I think for the majority of us, if we're looking for answers we should see the experts first, especially if you're that worried about it that you've sought a home testing kit in the first place. Save money and get good advice exactly when you need it, that's what I say!
Posted by Julia ( 1:25 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Wednesday Jun 04, 2008
Abortions
The topic of abortion has been widely reported recently because of the push to cut the abortion limit from 24 weeks to 12, 16, 20 or 22 weeks. However, this has now been rejected by MPs; for the time being anyway. Many people think that 24 weeks is too late to abort a baby, especially when a small proportion of babies survive when born earlier than the 24 week limit. At the same time, babies born at 23 weeks or earlier are apparently no more likely to survive than they were a decade ago. It’s not surprising that you may think it’s immoral to abort a foetus when it has the chance of surviving, but after interviewing a couple of family planning advisors, I realised there was far more to it than that.
According to the FPA, many young women find themselves in denial when they realise they are pregnant or are having some sort of a personal crisis. This often means that by the time they get to the doctors to discuss abortion and are put on the waiting list, often it’s too late to have an abortion - especially if their only option is with the NHS and they can’t afford to go private. Then there’s the selection of women who don’t know they are pregnant until it’s too late. It’s for these reasons that MPs decided to stick with 24 weeks.
But at the same time, if it happened to me, what would I do? I guess that at 28 years old I am regarded as old enough to be a parent, but for many women including myself, it may still not be the right time; you may not have the money, the support of your family or partner, or the wish to put your career on hold.
Whatever choice you make, if it happens to you, finding out what actually happens during an abortion is kept relatively hush-hush and that’s why we’ve expanded our content to include information about the actual procedure and about the recovery afterwards so you know what to expect. Ultimately, the choice is yours, but by knowing what to expect hopefully that will help you make the decision that is right for you.
Posted by Julia ( 9:33 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Friday May 30, 2008
Two steps forward, how many back?
We're all fascinated by this story in a local paper in South London on a council spending £15k to replace a few steps. The reason has nothing to do with safety; it's because nearby residents don't like the fact that young people sit on them.
The council has decided to spend time, effort and money to remove the steps and make it as uncomfortable as possible for young people to hang around. They are even proposing not to install a handrail so teenagers can't lean against anything.
In their defence the council says the work is part of a package of improvements that also include trying to make a local park safer so that young people have somewhere else to go.
Even so, it does seem like a bit of a drastic measure. And as many of the comments have pointed out, the issue is not that young people are hanging out there – it's that there is a small number who are causing problems.
It's great to see a number of young people taking up the issue and we'll be watching to see what happens.
Who thought concrete steps could be so fascinating...
Posted by Olly ( 2:02 PM ) Link to this post | Comments[0]
Wednesday May 14, 2008
Were we right to publish it?
Every so often, we have to take difficult decisions about what we publish; and what we choose not to. We've always taken a stance that our site users make their own mind up about the information that we publish; which is why we try never to preach about drugs, crime or safe sex. That stance means that we rarely hold back on providing information and true stories providing they are based on fact and honestly-held opinion.
But sometimes that is not enough, and we've had a engaging debate as to whether to publish an article we commissioned on prostitution. According to the Home Office, nearly one in 20 men aged 16-43 have paid for sex in the last five years; and in London that figure nearly doubles. There are about 80,000 individuals involved in prostitution in the UK, roughly the same number as those who work in the social housing sector. And although soliciting, brothels and kerb-crawling are all illegal; the actual act of paying or accepting payment for sex isn't.
So when we interviewed an escort who described how much money she got paid, how safe and in control she feels and how her biggest problem is clients with smelly breath; there was a collective expression of concern. The reality is that this is highly atypical of the sex industry; and the majority of prostitutes are there because of a dependence on income to pay for drugs, or increasingly through being trafficked or tricked into coming to the UK. Many prostitutes are victims of violence and rape whilst working, and again according to the Home Office, 75% were forced into prostitution before they turned 18, and 95% are involved to support theirs, or their partner's, drug problem.
The last thing we wanted to do was publish a story that glamorised the sex-industry, or glossed over the horrific experiences that leads people into prostitution. ITV came in for plenty of criticism over the Billie Piper fronted Belle Du Jour, and that was labelled as entertainment. But we're not about entertainment - we're here to provide information.
But conversely there are claims (and research) that more and more female students are turning to the sex industry to help fund their way through university. We're here to reflect the realities of being aged between 16-24 in the UK. The drug trade is equally full of horrific and brutal statistics---albeit the majority not in this country---and yet we publish information on drugs because we know that many young people in the UK use them.
So we have published the story. Because ultimately we're not here to tell people how to live their lives.
I'd be interested to know if you think that was the right decision.
Olly
Posted by Olly ( 11:49 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[4]