I thought I would do something different for a change and came up with the idea of doing a weight loss and diet frequently asked questions post. I may have covered some of the following in a lot of my posts bought some people may have not read them. So you could probably call this a refresher and something some people may have not seen. So without further ado let’s get started. Q. Why is it after trying to lose weight for a few weeks or months now I don’t seem to be getting anywhere? A. There could be any number of reasons for this, but I will try to answer this question as best as I can, when people first start on a weight loss journey it can seem quite overwhelming and also it may be a new experience so it could be very easy to be making mistakes, which can...

... to Thomas Arne, composer of many things, but especially of Rule Britannia, and one of the first people to fight over copyright: In 1741 Arne filed a complaint in Chancery pertaining to a breach of musical copyright and claimed that some of his theatrical songs had been printed and sold by Henry Roberts and John Johnson, the London booksellers and music distributors. The matter was settled out of court. Arne was certainly one of the very first composers to have appealed to the law over copyright issues.It seems impossible to put up this posting without a video of Rule Britannia from one of the many Last Nights of the Proms. Tory Historian is spoilt for choice. Perhaps this one from 2008 with Bryn Terfel singing the...

Thousands using gas flares will illuminate the whole course of Britain's biggest historic monumentInteractive: Lighting up Hadrian's wallAn army that would have astonished the emperor Hadrian is set to take over his Roman wall tomorrow night, lighting a chain of beacons from the Tyne to the Solway Firth.Thousands of people have been recruited for what will be an 84-mile variation on Antony Gormley's invitation to the people of the UK to occupy the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square – a brief but spectacular moment of public art.Designed to highlight Britain's biggest ancient monument and bring an early spring to the northern tourist economy, the event will feature scenes that would have earned an instant court martial in Hadrian's day.Durham university student Maxine Granger is inviting...

I've just agreed to write a story for an anthology which is being published by Glasshouse Books in July. It's called 33 because that's how many London boroughs there are, and it's one story for each borough. I'm doing Bexley, and since Londoners are no less parochial (arguably more parochial) than anyone else, even my London-based friends might need explaining that Bexley is fairly south and very east London: specifically, it's lined up along both sides of the bit of the A2 which you hope to whizz through on the way to Rochester and ultimately Dover and then France, and usually find you crawl through because there's an accident at the Danson Interchange and traffic backed up from the roadworks by the new Eurostar station at Ebbsfleet.No, Bexley is neither the borough of my birth...

Exeter City Council’s Empty Homes Service is scouring the city and beyond for much-needed housing. The search for empty homes not only covers the city but also focuses on East Devon, Mid Devon and the Teignbridge area. Exeter has nearly 50,000 dwellings, according to 2008 Council Tax figures, and 554 have been empty for over six months. The most common causes of properties becoming empty are occupants moving into care or dying, repossession or lack of funds to complete renovation projects. The job of the council’s Empty Homes Service is simple: to get those homes back into use and help bring down the city’s housing waiting list, which currently stands at 5,700 households. Part proof that the council is doing a good job in tracking down empty homes comes with the council...

Pete Waterman's Eurovision song and the act who will represent the UK in Oslo will be decided...

This post has been prompted by an invitation from Angela Definis to contribute to her forthcoming 'blog carnival' on the theme: 'The Impact of Public Speaking on Top Sales Performance, further details of which will be posted here when it goes live later in March.I've sometimes been mystified by the willingness of large companies to squander huge amounts of money on sales events without bothering to spend a little extra on preparing key speakers to make the most of such occasions.One of the most extreme examples of this came at the UK launch of some major new products by a famous American multi-national corporation.SALES BY SHOWBIZThey had hired one of the country's best-known radio and television presenter (daily rate:£15,000.00) to chair a discussion with their directors from the stage...

Edward McMillan-Scott accuses David Cameron of 'propitiating extremism abroad' and says he fears that on Europe the Tory leader says one thing in opposition and will do another in governmentThe former leader of the Conservatives in the European parliament has defected to the Liberal Democrats, the party announced today.Edward McMillan-Scott accused David Cameron of "propitiating extremism abroad" and said he feared the Tory leader said one thing on Europe in private but would do another in government.The MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber clashed with Cameron last year over the Conservative leader's decision to remove his MEPs from the centre-right European People's party and set up a new group, European Conservatives and Reformists, with controversial allies from eastern...

As I predicted, porn director Anna Arrowsmith's candidacy for the Liberal Democrats in Gravesham has attracted quite a lot of attention from the press. You read it here first. (Unless you got if off Twitter like I did, of course.) What I hadn't quite banked on was that the coverage would be almost entirely uncritical. Even the Daily Mail was surprisingly complimentary - at least Ms Arrowsmith thought so - noting for example that "a quick glance through the titles of her 300 or so films may suggest she has used them to address some of the major challenges facing Britain today". The paper illustrated its story with photos of Anna Span posing with some of her performers, everyone looking happy. A potted biography of the candidate informed readers that "she became involved in porn to...

A number of people were lucky enough to bag tickets to a walking tour of the world's first tunnel under a navigable river. Victorians last walked through the tunnel in 1865 & now, 145 years later it was opened to the public for two days. The tickets sold out incredibly quickly, but luckily for us a number of people have blogged & very kindly shared photography. Matthew Knight aka webponce has an amazing set of pictures from the Thames Tunnel Tour. I love the detail of the original brickwork on the archways below.He said "I've always wanted to walk down a Tube line, and to be able to walk along the Marc Brunel Thames Tunnel was even more special - as the world's first underwater tunnel. Much of the original tunnel is still visible at the Rotherhithe end. It is amazing to think there...

Judge agrees with human rights watchdog that British National party's rewritten criteria for joining are still racistThe British National party's membership rules were declared illegal today, despite a party decision last month to remove whites-only provisions from its constitution.Judge Paul Collins ruled that the party was "likely to commit unlawful acts of discrimination within the race relations act". The decision follows weeks of wrangling over the legality of the far-right party's membership criteria as defined in its constitution.The BNP agreed last year to remove its whites-only policy following a legal challenge by the government's Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) under race relations laws. BNP rules had stipulated that only "indigenous caucasians" and people from...

• Renault's Bob Bell accuses McLaren of 'starting new arms race'• Rivals angry after car gains FIA approvalRenault have accused McLaren of driving "a cart horse through the spirit" of Formula One with their new rear wing even though it has been approved by the sport's ruling body."It is fundamentally clear that the McLaren wing design is totally illegal," Bob Bell, Renault's managing director Bob Bell told the BBC after the first practice session of the season at the Bahrain grand prix today."They have driven a cart horse through the spirit of the rules and regulations," said Bell. "They have opened up another arms race, it's going to cost everybody a lot of money. The governing bodies need to be a lot stronger with these things."Renault themselves are competing under a suspended...

More than half a million travellers to be hit by successive weekend walkouts, with the first beginning on 27 MarchMore than half a million British Airways passengers face strike disruption this month after the Unite trade union announced walkouts over two consecutive weekends, prompting BA to withdraw a last-ditch peace offer.Unite has called a series of strikes by up to 12,000 flight attendants, beginning with a three-day walkout on 20 March and then a four-day stoppage from 27 March.Brief hopes of a reprieve for the 525,000 passengers affected by the strike action were extinguished this afternoon when the BA chief executive, Willie Walsh, withdrew a compromise offer after hearing that Unite had set dates for the first cabin crew strike in 13 years.BA said the offer, which included a...

God, the buses have been ghastly lately. Last night at Liverpool Street the 242 arrived, rammed with commuters, and the bus driver refused to open the front door until every last person had got off. By then there was a rib-busting crush at the door – it was raining – and one bloke simply got on through the back door. The bus driver spotted him and made him get off – after lengthy negotiations we all had to watch from the rainy pavement – so he got on through the front door behind me… The above passage is in quotes, but regular readers will know that it could easily have been written by your correspondent here, so much time and energy do I expend on the London buses. (Really, our mayor might like to try it.) But it was in fact written by the wonderful and burgeoning...

Exactly 5 months ago today, I entered a distance relationship with Christine. I didn't intentionally look to enter a distance relationship - it just sort-of happened, as many things in romance do. 5 months on and we're still very happy together, even if 'together' means that there's 70 miles between us most of the time. I wanted to use this entry to talk about my experience of the relationship and the things that have helped to keep it together. The pros: There are some upsides to being a distance relationship. The distance means you have a bit more freedom when you're not in the same place, so you can go out on an evening for example and not feel so guilty if the other party doesn't want to go. You need to have rules though, and be able to trust your partner not to do things that you...

Parliament has been in Strasbourg this week for four days of formal debates and votes. We had our first debate with external relations commissioner and EU high representative Baroness Catherine Ashton on foreign policy. I think she acquitted herself well. Despite starting with virtually no support she has gathered good people around her and gave a competent, if not quite visionary, view of her plans to set up the EU diplomatic service which our governments committed themselves to in the Lisbon Treaty. She has taken a lot of flack, some of which a man would not have received. I appealed to colleagues, on International Women’s Day, at least to give her a fair hearing. My week has involved meetings with Commissioners Hedegaard and de Gucht, responsible for climate change and trade...

Napalm Cheeseguttering has now become famous mainly through one of the strangest incidents of the last decade, at a time when mere fame became the lot of anyone un-self-aware enough to enter, with an eagerness often in direct inverse proportion to any discernable talent or ability, the increasing number of talent and ‘reality’ shows that seemed to infest the TV schedules like acne on the face of a teenager and to much the same aesthetic effect. At the time of the incident, Cheeseguttering was the lyricist, lead vocalist and bass player in Goat Knee Designator (formerly: Spunk It Up The Wall) yet another run-of-the-mill rock band. Rock music, despite being terminally moribund and about as musically exciting as an undertaker’s End-of-Year balance sheet, was still the main way that...

Other hot tickets for the 17th South By Southwest film festival include MacGruber, Get Low and CyrusRarely has an opening night movie sounded more like a mission statement. The South By Southwest film festival kicks off in Austin tonight with the world premiere of Kick-Ass, the tale of a teenage superhero, an enigmatic vigilante and his pint-sized killer daughter. Based on the comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr, Kick-Ass is directed by Matthew Vaughn (also responsible for Layercake) and stars Aaron Johnson (last seen in Nowhere Boy), Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz.Organisers are doubtless hoping that the film's boisterous antics will set the tone for the event as a whole. Ahead of the curtain-raiser, the mood was cautiously optimistic with registrations – an early guide to...

Rollers left cheesed off as event stopped due to overcrowding, but organisers are trying to find a solutionIt has long been regarded as one of the most curious – and hazardous – of English springtime pastimes. Competitors chase a large round of cheese down a steep hill in Gloucestershire, risking ridicule and broken limbs.But it emerged today that the annual cheese-rolling event at Cooper's Hill above Brockworth has become the latest victim of health and safety concerns.This year's event has been cancelled, not because organisers fear that those taking part will hurt themselves, but because the competition has become too popular and is attracting unmanageable crowds.The organisers said: "The attendance at the event has far outgrown the location where it has traditionally been held for...

Murcia residents start Facebook campaign to attract global coffee chain – possibly for the muffins, the wifi or the mugs!Murcia is one of the fastest growing cities in Spain, the proud capital of the country's south-eastern market garden region. But the coffee guzzling citizens of Murcia say it still lacks the one thing that would prove they have made it onto the global map of cities that count: the green, white and black sign of a local Starbucks.Now the city's cappuccino and mocha starved citizens have mounted a Facebook campaign to join the list of 16,000 places on the planet with a Starbucks."They have got it everywhere but here," complains Alicia Delgado, a recent contributor to the Starbucks campaign wall. "It is about time we had one too."Enrique Marhuenda agrees: "The day we...

Stick to something lighter like thisTyler has been listening on his trusty iPod to a rather depressing collection of ditties. They comprise three lectures given last year at the LSE by Prof Paul Krugman, Nobel laureate, left-leaning NY Times columnist, and author of The Return of Depression Economics. And if it's depression you want, this is for you.Krugman is immensely well informed, and very persuasive. But his economic prescriptions are based on the never ending growth of Big Government.One of his key messages is that the world as currently constituted has a structural glut of savings. China and most other points East save far too much, and unless someone else spends to fill the gap, the global economy will sink into the abyss of a new Great Depression. Of course, until...

From a thatched cottage to a castle outhouse, seaside retreats to an historic city pad, we've picked 20 fantastic self-catering properties available over the Easter holidayWalesCapel Pennant, near LlangollenCapel Pennant is a cosy converted estate chapel in the gardens of one of Wales' most handsome manor houses, Plas Pennant, on the Chirk Castle estate near Lllangollen. It has been elegantly furnished, but the chief delight is the wonderful open view down the famous Ceiriog valley. You can enjoy access to the gardens of the manor, or great walking in the area, and visit the charming heritage towns close by, of which Llangollen and Chirk are just the start.• Sleeps up to two people in one bedroom. Arriving Easter Monday, five nights costs £355 or stay seven nights for £533. Under The...

Being sued for libel is not only ruinously expensive, writes Simon Singh, it takes over your whole life. Which is why this will be his last columnAlmost a year after writing my first column for this site, I would like to welcome you to my final article.At first I was able to deliver my monthly column on time, but my submissions have become increasingly delayed, and this is my first since November. The problem is that I have spent the past two years being sued for libel, which has taken up huge amounts of time. And now all my remaining spare time is being devoted to campaigning for libel reform.The crippling and prohibitive financial cost of defending a libel case is often highlighted, but the equally terrible cost in terms of time and stress is rarely mentioned.I recently discussed this...

Source of Daily Mail story refuses to divulge 'well-known social network' where he posed as girl of 14 and received sexual approaches from menFacebook has called on the ex-detective who posed as a 14-year-old girl online on a "well-known social network" and said he was approached by men making sexual suggestions within minutes to name the site he used.But Mark Williams-Thomas, whose experiences were described by the Daily Mail in a contentious story this week, declined to name the site today. He suggested that it would not be helpful to the site's users – and that it might damage its reputation or attract paedophiles to use it more extensively.A spokesperson for Facebook said that it was important to identify the site so that young users could be protected. "If you really want to...

In case you missed the smarmy missive on the Western Morning News about Crealy’s activities during British Tourism Week we thought we let you know about it here because: tourism is important to the Devon economy; Crealy has been championing its environmental approach to tourism for years; and our very own Giles Chichester MEP could very well be partaking the Vortex triple tube watercoaster. Crealy is hosting Parliamentary visits during British Tourism Week to big up its Double Summer Time campaign – which would entail moving UK clocks forward by two hours (GMT + 2) during the summer months, and one hour forward from the current time (GMT + 1) in the winter months. They say the extra hour of daylight, particularly during the warm summer evenings, could be of huge benefit to...

Anna Arrowsmith's previous profession is not my cup of tea, says Lib Dem leader, hailing her as no cardboard cut-out Westminster politicianA former porn director who has been selected as a parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats would be a passionate campaigner for her local area, Nick Clegg said today.Clegg said Anna Arrowsmith's previous profession was "not exactly my cup of tea", and she was certainly no "cardboard cut-out Westminster politician".But he said it was important that "people like her" who care about their local areas put themselves forward.Clegg was speaking ahead of the Lib Dems' spring conference, which begins in Birmingham tonight as the party seeks to rally activists ahead of the general election.He told GMTV he had "just read the reports" about Arrowsmith,...

Melting sea ice in the Arctic will kill thousands of bears in coming years, the US says, and continued commercial trade must not be allowed to make the situation worseIt is a familiar story in the climate change debate. The US government is at odds with the rest of the world and, despite criticism, wants other countries to change their minds and fall in line behind Uncle Sam.This time, the tale comes with an unexpected twist. This weekend, the US will warn that the threat from climate change to the future survival of the polar bear is so great that the world must grant the animal the highest possible protection.At the annual meeting of the international body that regulates trade in animals, the US will push for a total ban on the sale and movement of polar bear products that are used for...

Let it go: men exaggerate and fib when talking about this kind of thingI am 25. My boyfriend and I are deeply in love and enjoy the physical side of our relationship. Last week he had some friends over and, when he thought I was asleep, I heard him confess that he sometimes fantasises about other people when we're making love. Then one of his friends even said he'd fantasised about me while having sex with his wife. It may have been the beer talking, but I was shocked and hurt that my boyfriend might be focused elsewhere at such intimate moments. Should I confront him?I recommend you let this one go. When a group of friends get together – male or female – the dynamic can encourage people to brag, exaggerate or tell outright lies about sex. Secondly, fantasising about other people...

I can’t decide whether Foursquare will rule the world or like most social media interaction conducted in social situations, completely destroy the fabric of society. Probably both. Because there always comes a point during an evening at the pub when somebody pulls out their mobile to text or check email, giving permission for everybody else to do so. Then it’s Facebook, Twitter and pretty much any thumb-bothering exercise that doesn’t involve talking to each other in real life. You stand there in your circle, nobody speaking to one another, but to people disconnected from your physical life. For the uninitiated, the year-old Foursquare has moved this principle onto location-based activity. It exists in the form of a mobile app (available across most handsets as a...

Hi Gaj-it Readers, If things have been a little busy for you this week and you haven’t been able to catch up on the latest news and reviews from across the tech world, then don’t despair as we’ve have compiled a weekly round up to satisfy your much needed tech cravings from Gaj-it as well as some of our neighbouring popular tech blogs. visit site to read more] Gadget Gift Ideas If you like what you’re reading then learn more about joining our FREE newsletter here. Lucky readers will win some fantastic gadget prizes! Also, check out our recession busting gadgety money saving ideas. Get paid for your old phones – Top 5 mobile recycling sites compared Free phone calls to exclusive discounts at restaurants from phone networks – Free Sim cards from various...