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Random Thoughts

If Your Body Was That Hot You'd Flaunt It Too!

21/2/2013

1 Comment

 
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Personally, I don't think Rihanna is showing too much flesh in this picture. If my booty was that toned it would also be out and about regularly. The image amuses and entertains me.

The fact that she got back with Chris Brown? Well the way I see it, she's a grown woman and she knew 100% what she was getting into.

People get quite heated about Rihanna and her antics but Rihanna has clearly expressed that she doesn't try to be anyone's role model, she's out having fun and being true to herself. I respect that. That said, young girls do look up to, admire and emulate her so I'm cool with her acting crazy but only to a certain extent. 

If she took pictures of herself taking a class A drug and posted them to Twitter, I wouldn't be impressed. The pictures she took of herself smoking a spliff a while back are borderline, I would like to hope that any kids I had would be smart enough to know that's stupid.

What do you think? Let's let Riri have her fun or "get it together, girl!"?
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1 Comment

Les Misérables - Film Review

15/2/2013

0 Comments

 
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Rating: 5/5

Before you ask, no, I didn't cry - I'm made of very stern stuff but the film does tug at your heart right from the start.

This film was very well acted. It didn't feel like a typical musical because I could hear practically everything. I usually have trouble hearing in a musical.

I would have liked to see more of what life in a 19th century French prison was like. That might have made me cry. 

The fact that the man was sent to jail for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread is just a sign of how horrible those times were. That said, I think some American states may be going silly with their laws too: North Carolina is planning on sentencing women that expose their breasts in public to prison for six months - apparently this won't affect breast feeding. Federal law might start giving people maximum sentences of 5 years for unlocking their own mobile phones; don't worry though you might get away with the alternative $500,000 fine! Anyway, I digress.

I hated Russell Crowe's character. I simply don't understand people who put the law above common sense.

Anne Hathaway was excellent although she didn't act in most of the film. These were awful times for poor women; she went from striking beauty to a hairless, prostitute with teeth missing in hours. It was very unpleasant to watch, especially as she was forced into all those things.

Though a much smaller role I also like Éponine, the only actress from the actual musical that made it into the film. I thought she was called Ebony until two minutes ago when I checked!!

There is so much more I could say about the film, all I'm going to say is watch it!

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0 Comments

Django Unchained - Film Review

14/2/2013

2 Comments

 
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Rating: 5/5

When I walked into Django all I knew was that it was a violent film. I had no idea it was about slavery and the civil rights movement of the 1860s. 

I had seen an interview where a UK reporter had talked about how the film encourages violence. Having seen the film, I don't agree with that view at all. No mature adult would watch Django and think "I need to get me a gun!"

The whole civil rights movement is something that's not taught on the British curriculum and it is certainly something I am very curious about. 

When I was a teenager one of my aunts told me that my great, great, great (I don't know how many greats) grandmother was on her way to the ships but the chief of the village fell in love with her so she was saved. I have no idea how true this story is, I still haven't asked my dad but it makes me even more curious about the whole era.

I was horrified by the scene where the dogs were let loose on the fighter that didn't want to fight anymore; I hated the scene where the slaves were forced to fight. The beatings were evil and the rules designed to subjugate black slaves utterly demoralising.

We should never forget that the slave trade initially started out with all races. It wasn't only black people that were slaves. However, it became policy to only use black slaves because we were the only ones that could survive in the heat. Other races got ill and died pretty quickly. We are uniquely born with a natural sunscreen, the colour of our skin and our afro hair.

What I loved about Django Unchained is that it empowered Django from the start. He went from slave to hero. Samuel L Jackson pissed me off so much in the film! I wanted to jump through the screen and woop his ass. Django was very well acted by Jamie Foxx and the guy who saved him was a legend too. He brought to mind that even then not every white person was a racist. 

This is a film definitely worth watching.

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2 Comments

I Give It A Year - Film Review

10/2/2013

2 Comments

 
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Rating: 3.75/5

My husband and I went to the cinema with no clear view of what we were going to see. We just wanted a break from the house on a miserable, wet day.

He said, "There's a comedy about to start, do you want to see that?" He knows I love to laugh so I said yes immediately. 

The moment the film started and I heard British accents, I thought oh no - I prefer my comedy American! They just do comedy better, generally. I told my husband so too but that was the only time I had to say that.

I laughed like crazy from the very start. It is a very light hearted film. Great for relaxing. My only complaint is that the lead actress was far too thin. I think it's not acceptable or healthy to have role models that thin, the girl needs a slice of cake!

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2 Comments

Hummus and Roasted Vegetable Wrap

5/2/2013

0 Comments

 
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By Heather

If I knew hummus was so easy to make, I would never have bought it from the supermarket. My husband just made tortilla wraps from lunch. When saw what was on the table I was VERY skeptical. I decided not to criticise the food right away but I was seriously thinking, "Gosh, why is he starving me!"

Anyway, here's the recipe:

Serves: 2 to 4. 

Preparation time: 15 minutes.

THE ROASTED VEGETABLES

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 red pepper
  • 2 medium-sized carrots

Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius
  2. Cut the peppers in half, peel the carrots and chop lengthways into fours 
  3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
  4. Drizzle olive oil on top and throw a sprig of fresh thyme
  5. Place in the oven for 10 minutes then switch on the grill for 5 to 10 minutes.

THE HUMMUS

Ingredients
  • 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained
  • 1–2 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons tahini (pureed sesame seeds)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • The juice of ½ a lemon
  • A large pinch of salt
  • A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • A sprinkle of ground cumin
  • 8 small tortilla

Method
  1. Place everything except the tortillas, extra virgin olive oil and the cumin into a food processor
  2. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  3. Serve in a bowl.
  4. Optional: drizzled a little extra virgin olive oil onto the hummus.
  5. Optional: sprinkle cumin on top.
  6. Add roasted vegetables and wrap!

We were hungry so we had four wraps each. We also added celery sticks. I had just returned from a 5 km jog so I need the four wraps! 
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​Although your personal finances and your business success are my primary interest, I believe you only operate at peak efficiency when you're fit and healthy. If you feel good, it filters through to your work. To help you with that, click for your free ebook: The Quick Guide to Sexy
​

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What Are Saturated Fats? Where are they found?

5/2/2013

0 Comments

 
PictureSwimming in saturated fats!
By Heather
​
Saturated means the fat has a full set of hydrogen bonds.

Some fat is needed in a healthy diet but it turns out your body can manufacture all the saturated fat it needs.

What’s wrong with saturated fats then?

Consuming too much saturated fat increases cholesterol and low density lipoproteins, LDLs. LDLs are composed primarily of cholesterol and have very little protein.

What is the recommended daily intake of saturated fats?

  • For an average man: no more than 30g
  • For an average woman: no more than 20g

What foods are high in saturated fats?

  • Fatty cuts of meat including sausages and bacon
  • Milk, cream and cheese, especially hard cheese
  • Biscuits, cakes, pastries
  • Butter, lard and margarine
  • Fats that are solid at room temperature, e.g. coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa butter

PictureNo one needs 3 eggs for breakfast
​You should eat as few of the above foods as you possibly can. Of course some of the above are a lot more benign than others, some milk with your cereal will do you a lot less harm than a regular fatty sausage and bacon breakfast.

Some would add egg yolks to the above list but eggs have so much goodness in them, not least because they’re great for hair, that I don’t want to add them to the above.

All foods contain a mixture of fats. For instance, beef is high in saturated fats but it actually contains more monounsaturated fats (the good type) than saturated fats.

Read these tips on how to eat less fat.

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​Although your personal finances and your business success are my primary interest, I believe you only operate at peak efficiency when you're fit and healthy. If you feel good, it filters through to your work. To help you with that, click for your free ebook: The Quick Guide to Sexy
​

0 Comments

The Only Disability In Life Is A Bad Attitude

4/2/2013

0 Comments

 
I'm a sucker for motivational talk, self-help books, good quotes etc and it doesn't get more touching and motivating than this:
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© 2007 - 2021, The Money Spot™ ~ Make Money, Change Lives!
Heather Katsonga-Woodward, a massive personal finance fanatic.
** All views expressed are my own and not those of my employer ** Please get professional advice before re-arranging your personal finances.
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