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Friday Sep 26, 2008

We've got the builders in...

Over the next few weeks you'll see some big changes to the look and feel of TheSite.org.  We've been hatching this plan for the last few months and we're really excited by all the changes that are taking place.

To enable us to make all the changes whilst continuing to operate a functional site, you may notice some things looking a bit wonky whilst we are doing all the work.  Treat it as us putting some virtual hoardings around TheSIte.org - and then some of those peep holes that you can stare in and see what the workmen and workladies are doing.

And if you want a preview of what it'll look like when it's all finished: take a look here.

And we promise, it'll take less time than the new Wembley Stadium did...

Olly

Posted by Olly ( 11:15 AM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[0]

Tuesday Sep 23, 2008

Competition time

To celebrate freshers' week TheSite.org has sent cheesy chat-up line flyers to uni's around the country for you to pick up and try out. You'll be able to find them at universities during freshers' week.

The competition

Find one of these flyers at your uni campus.

Take a photo of yourself holding up the flyer (preferably using the line) and post your photos in this thread on the discussion boards or send them us by the end of October.

Here's an example of what we want:

The best photo will win a free Sumo bean bag to relax on at uni, so you can be like this comfortable lady.

Good luck!!

Posted by Chris Denholm ( 2:20 PM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[1]

Friday Sep 12, 2008

Travel bother

Well, thank God for ATOL protection, that's what I say. Yes, I am one of the unfortunate souls who has lost out because of XL Airways going bust. Not only am I terrified of flying and having to book the holiday in the first place was hard enough, but now this has made me even more nervous that the plane we end up on if we ever get to Egypt will be a run-down old thing that has been out of service for ages. Rational or irrational, who knows? I am currently reading Stress free flying, which was bought for me by my other half – probably to make his life easier as well... it isn't helping, but to be fair I have only managed to read a few pages.

So not only will we have to go back to square one and book a holiday, but we will be in debt because our refund won't come back for at least four months. Thankfully I'm just about to publish a revised article on dealing with debt and negotiating with creditors, so that may come in more than handy when I'm flagging behind on my bills all in aid of getting a decent tan for the first time in seven years.

In fact it's been very busy on the editorial team of late – we've  joined forces with CAB to produce lots of content to help users in areas such as buying on internet auction sites, separating when you've got children, energy efficiency, payment protection insurance,  finances when you leave prison and more information on civil partnerships. And with the real life content, Stephen's been telling us about how Asperger Syndrome has affected his life, Stewart talks about drugs and derealisation and poor Lucy has had her heart broken after a summer romance went wrong.

So I guess I can't really complain, at least my other half hasn't broken up with me for refusing to take two flights in one day just to get to our destination (that was our alternative I was told this morning, no thanks!)

Posted by Julia ( 2:54 PM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[0]

Wednesday Sep 10, 2008

A ringtone that could save your life...

Ok, maybe the title is a little overdramatic, but the BBC World Service Trust (the charitable bit of the BBC outside of the UK) has come up with a rather clever way of trying to help reduce STIs in India.

They've released a rather snazzy ringtone. The idea being that getting people to hear the word condom which makes people talk about them, makes it less taboo, and bish, bash, bosh you've made safe sex sexy.

It's not the first time the BBC has been a bit "out there" trying to promote safe sex; but the question is - would the idea of having a barbershop choir singing the word condom every time your mates called you work here? It'd certainly be a talking point on the bus...

 

Posted by Olly ( 8:28 AM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[1]

Friday Aug 22, 2008

Watch the suffering...

In the last few weeks, thousands of teenagers have been collecting their exam results, whether it was for Scottish Highers, A Levels, GSCEs or SQAs.

If the stress of opening their results wasn't enough - these teenagers opened their A Level results in front of a camera. You can watch the results here as part of the Year Dot intiative.

And, of course, you can get all the information you need on decisions as a result of your exam results - whether they are good or bad - in the exams section of TheSite.org.

Posted by Olly ( 12:19 PM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[0]

Thursday Aug 21, 2008

"How's my teen driving?"

American's have always had a thing for bumper stickers, but now they are taking them further than simply political or sexy messages.

You may have seen those "How's my driving?" stickers on lorries in the UK.  If you didn't know, putting one of them on reduces motor insurance premiums because the belief is that someone is going to drive better if they know they could be shopped by an irate motorist behind them (although what with the laws on using mobile phones, you've got to wonder how often someone actually calls that number).

Now our cousins from the other side of the pond are adding those bumper stickers to cars driven by teenagers.  But instead of instances of dodgy driving being fed back to an insurance company; it goes back to the teen's parents (who pay for the service).

I can't work out if it's a good idea or not.  In a sense, having a shop-a-bad-driver number is far less of an instrusive method than other ideas such as GPS tracking or monitoring systems that log all driving activity; not just the bit that is bad. Equally, I'd far prefer teenagers get the chance to drive with the risk of being caught than the current strategy in the UK which seems to be reduce the risk by eliminating the opportunity (ie increasing the age you can legally drive).

Would it work in this country?  We're less likely to let young drivers have their own cars so parents would probably have to deal with having a sticker on their own car.

So, would you be happy to have a sticker so some random stranger would be able to shop you for speeding or having your music too loud?

(reported in Boston Globe, via YPulse)

Posted by Olly ( 2:46 PM ) Link to this post  |  Comments[1]

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[2]

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 16^th 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]