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Contents PageNews & Money Matters

07- Apple Bites Back 20 - 25 Second Entrepreneur Inquisition

14 - Nicholas Amfo Interview13 - The Fate Of The NHS?

35 - Nupé Mag Meets The Founder Of That Grape Juice 42 - 2011 Was The Year The People Spoke

Modern Life06 - Pinterest

36 - Social Network Etiquette23 - Credit Crunch Hunch

38 - Is Hollywood A New British Colony?41 - Events

Style ‘N’ Culture21 - Music Spotlight: Maverick Sabre

24 - HnH Section28 - Bubushiiky Or Nothing Else33 - Favourite Comeback Trends

37 - The Lonely Astronaut

Opinionated People11 - #KamRantz

10 - Guilty Pleasures We Can’t Live Without22 - The Tardis

17 - Narcissim and Social Media

Sports39 - The Phenomenon That Is Number 17

40 - The SAF Factor43 - Sports Round-up

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Editor’s Note

Wow Nupéians, it’s been a long time but we are back! The old website www.nupemag.com went down in November last year in order for us to regroup and put together a better media outlet for our adoring fans, who we’re so pleased and blessed to have. The result is the new elegant site www.nupe.co.uk and this wonderful ‘Comeback’ themed issue. It has been quite a hard journey for myself and others involved but through perseverance and sheer inner faith, here we are. I just want to thank every single person involved with Nupé for making this happen, as an editor is nothing without his able and loyal team.

As you can see the site has undergone a huge makeover with what was the old site now confined to the ‘Blog’ and the addition of Nupé VT (Virtual Television) our media production outlet and Nupé Khree-8tive, the arm of the company which focuses on creative and marketing services. You are reading the new digi-mag so I don’t need to tell you about that. It is testament to such a wonderfully talented and hardworking team that we have been able to reach this stage and I look forward to creating legacies in the future with this stupendously gifted bunch of people.

With that out of the way, let me briefly talk about what’s in-store for you within these pages. We have a fantastic exclusive interview with one of the brightest rising stars in the UK fashion scene, Nicholas Amfo. A brand new his and her (HnH) section which is bound to provide humourous and stimulating content for members of both sexes. There are also many other great features that will show you why Nupé is the magazine to read, but you got to flick through the pages to find out.

Let me finish by saying that in an age where the production and distribution of news and media is changing more dramatically than a week of English weather, we custodians of new media stand on the cusp of greatness. We also have an obligation to provide content with substance that is beneficial to the lives of whoever chooses to consume it. That is the challenge we face and that is what we will surely do at Nupé!

TJ MorganActing Editor

Editorial

WritersTJ Morgan - Editor

Dami Abajingin - Politics EditorRazaak Agoro - Sport Editor

Kamran Assadi - Poetry EditorJordan Philips

Hayel WartembergTramaine OcarlaySamuel Adediran

Chris OwusuBanwo Idowu

Mulenga Bwali

Designers and AdministrationHelen O. Busari

Bhavika SankadaVaishali Datta

Advertising: advertising@nupe.co.ukServices: creative@nupe.co.uk

Special thanks to:Lola and Iulian

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By Mulenga Bwali

Social networks seem to be like manufactured pop bands in the fact that new ones seem to be constantly popping up. With some experiencing Spice Girls-esque success like Twitter, whilst other networks have plummeted in popularity like the latest line-up of the Sugababes. The latest social network to capture the hearts and minds of tech geeks across the globe is Pinterest.

Pinterest is a social network that works by users creating virtual boards which they can attach or ‘pin’ images, called pin boards. Other users can then follow pinners, their boards and re-pin images in a similar way to which retweets work on Twitter. To put it simply the name says it all as what people are purely doing is pinning what interests them in the form of an image online.

After initially hearing about Pinterest, my level of intrigue was further intensified by reading an article by Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore on the CNN website in which he had great things to say regarding the network such as: “breakout social network network of 2012” and “drives more visitors to third-party websites than Google+, Youtube and LinkedIn combined”. This was enough to make me take the plunge and join the site. After hitting the site I was captivated by the simple yet enticing layout but rather dismayed that I had to request to join the site. Was the site that special that I was not allowed instant entry? Could I possibly have my request denied? Who do Pinterest think they are? Can I cancel my request? After getting over my initial anger I decided to wait for my invitation to arrive.

On the third day of waiting I received the invite, joined the site, placed a ‘Pin It’ tab on my browser toolbar and started pinning. I was shocked to find that it was not possible to pin images from Facebook but this turned to a feeling of happiness as I realized embarrassing pictures of me will not escape Facebook. After two weeks of pinning I came to the following conclusions regarding Pinterest. It’s not surprising it’s been tipped for greatness as it allows people to do two things they love; share information and connect with people. It also allows them to do it in a new way as you connect with people via interests rather than acquaintance. Also it allows you to show your character in an innovative way as a picture tells a thousand words which is considerably more than a Facebook status or a tweet.

It seems the only thing which can stop the site from reaching the status of a top tier social network is the potential copyright issues which could engulf the company. This may come from users pinning images to the site which they do not hold the rights to and therefore the actual rights holders may feel aggrieved at Pinterest making money from their content and pursue legal action. Nonetheless, surely the Pinterest strategists have factored this possibility into their planning as they seem to be a savvy bunch. Watching events unfold over the next 18 months for this company will be interesting to say the least.

Apple Bites Back

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We’re all quite partial to a magnificent comeback story which is probably why we adore and put up with incomprehensible happy endings in transparent scripts. Examples spring to mind such as a severely injured movie hero defeating 10 strong and fit men or how seemingly unbeatable villains always lost in Dragon Ball Z. Well the famed fable of the company formerly known as Apple

Computers has nothing to do with fearless super Saiyans or Hollywood antics but a movie of it’s journey would be a certified box office smash.

Apple products can be seen to span the globe but it all began in one distinct location. Two California boys, two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak created ‘Apple Computer Company’ in 1976 as they released the Apple I. It proved to be a great success and the subsequent release of the Apple II catapulted the company into the enviable position of being the number one computer company. This made Apple’s enigmatic co-founder Steve Jobs an extremely rich man to the tune of hundreds of millions. But with financial growth came structural growth and Apple issued shares onto the market thus becoming a company with a greater focus on revenue and profit, with less on creative innovation. So when Apple began to suffer financial trouble due to underwhelming sales of the brilliant yet expensive Macintosh and increased competition from Windows-powered PCs, Jobs was ushered out by a board who didn’t share his philosophy.

From then on it went one way for Apple and that was down! Jobs on the other hand had mixed success as his acquisition of Pixar and the commercial success of films such as Toy Story increased his wealth and status whilst his NeXT Computers brand was fairly stagnant.In an amazing turn of events in 1996, Apple a company on it’s knees bought NeXT and the deal sealed Jobs return to his baby. After some months Jobs officially became CEO and set about changing the fortunes of the company. Rumour has it that at that time Apple was on the brink of liquidation. Jobs a business savvy operator always worked best with someone of creative brilliance. In the early days it was fellow Californian Wozniak, but now a young Englishman, Jonathan Ive, was the inspired force for Jobs to feed off.

They began their partnership with the introduction of the coolest looking PC to date, the iMac. Then the iAge got into full swing with further product launches such as; iPod with iTunes, iPhone and the iPad. Along the way Apple refashioned the world of tech and music and let’s not forget their individualistic approach to retail with the iStore.

The moral in this comeback is that of a company whose USP was it’s founder, when when he left the USP tagged along. We have seen this repeated in other previously great companies such as Myspace and Bebo. When Jobs sadly passed away last year, he left behind a great legacy and a company which periodically swaps places with oil juggernaut Exxon Mobil for the business world’s MVC (most valuable company). So it seems Apple are better placed to cope with his loss this time. We look forward to the future with warm anticipation.

By TJ Morgan

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Guilty Pleasures We Can’t Live Without

Hehe. I chuckle to myself as I mentally decipher through guilty

pleasures which can never see the light of day in this article. I then go

on to give myself a scolding for enjoying these experiences in the first

place. I’m just doing it to appease my moral conscious as in reality I

enjoyed the pleasure in the first instance.

That led me to question why we’re consumed by that eerie sense of

guilt. Is it because we feel bad for deriving pleasure from something

we ‘feel’ we shouldn’t be doing or is it because society says it is not

the right thing to do. That’s a conundrum for you to ponder over

but in the meantime, check out some of answers I got when I asked

people what their guilty pleasures were.

1: Get Me A Restraining Order

Online stalking was a popular answer that came in from

members of both sexes. People said that Facebook was

the best site to spy on partners and family members and

also to scope out people before adding them. Amazingly

these same people said that their online information is

subject to most stringent privacy settings. So it seems

that people like to look but not be looked at. Although

Facebook allows greater depth to online stalking due to

the wealth of information available on profiles, Twitter

has expanded the reach of a stalker. So now they can

follow anybody, from the person down to the street to

their favourite celebrity, sportsmen or politician. With

the amount of people sharing information expected to

continue to grow, then online stalking is guaranteed to be

a guilt causing pleasure for many a year yet.

2: I Deny It Publicly But I Love Watching This

Reality television seems to divide people down the middle, as

you either love it or hate it, well that’s when people express

their opinions publicly anyway. Whether it be X Factor or Big

Brother, there are some of us out there who know and agree

that it’s poor TV and we deride it whilst secretly enjoying it. We

often give ourselves away by abusing the cast of a show we

don’t like by name and in detail. This shows that one must be

a frequent viewer of the show to consciously pick up on those

things.

3: GamblingWe all know that gambling is a a risky business that gives great rewards but bookmakers normally end up winning. So it’s not a widely promoted activity by the person in question that they actually gamble. This may be why bookmakers used to cover the windows from onlookers viewing in. It’s not just the potential winnings of gambling that make it a great pleasure, it’s also the way it is packaged. When I was watching a Champions League match last season and saw one of those Betfair adverts showered with the East End charm of Ray Winstone, I felt compelled to have a flutter. I was totally fascinated by how responsive and up-to date the advert was. For example if Rooney put United 1 nil up on the stroke of half-time, the advert 30 secs later would have odds on Rooney making it 2 nil. The speed at which Betfair operated was amazing. Gambling is sure to be another guilt that will continue to haunt our conscious for all of time.

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By Kamran Assadi

Positive Fathers, Tell Your Story!

When it comes to being asked who your father is a lot of people either can’t answer the question be-cause they don’t know the answer, or they simply weren’t given the chance to bond with him because he wasn’t there in their childhood. In some situations this causes resentment, disappointment, anger and frustration towards him. A recent study showed that 1 in 5 children from a broken family lose touch with a parent within three years and never see them again; this statistic can be attributed to the problem of ab-sent fathers.

The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Western Europe; in this generation, as statistics show, teenage pregnancy is on the rise and is becom-ing the norm. This isn’t helped by the fact that a lot of ‘men’ feel like they’re not ready for that respon-sibility, even though they feel man enough to do the deed! As one of my favourite artists Missy Elliott once said “Strap it up before you smack it up!”

I came from a fatherless family. My dad left the house-hold and my mother when I was ten months old. I grew up feeling bitterness towards this man I don’t remember. I venting out in poetry; I thought that fathers were only good for their sperm and that’s it. After eventually maturing and understanding the rea-sons for his absence and getting over it, I vowed to be a better father than he was.

Fast forward to 2012 and I’m a married man of three years and expecting my first child, I’m planning to be the best dad I can be. This situation has made me real-ise that you need stability, trust and love to bring up a child in the right way. You can’t bring a child into the world if the relationship or the people in it are not sta-ble enough in body and mind to provide those quali-ties. You need a partner to lean on, but you also have to be there to prop them up. A child needs to have two parents and I have the utmost respect for single parents (especially mothers) who push through to be two parents for the child to give them that much needed balance that they’re so desperately lacking.

Regardless of this broken family generation, I have met so many positive male role models and great fa-thers who inspire me to be great too. My father-in-law Daniel Sykes Sr, and my best friend’s dad Francis Lew-is for instance. There are lots of community projects which support good fatherhood. The Daddy Cool Pro-ject based in North London focuses on workshops, monthly gatherings, and events to bring young dads

together to talk and share ideas advice and wisdom as well as also educating fathers about what the ex-perience of being a dad entails. Fathers 4 Justice, The Fatherhood Institute and Families Need Fathers also seek to enforce the necessity for positive fathers.

There are so many good fathers out there who are going the extra mile for their children; yet, we don’t hear their stories in the media. Their stories aren’t told often enough, we focus too much on the nega-tivity surrounding absent fathers.

All I’ve ever wanted is to have a family to call my own and to be the best father I can be, and now I have that chance and I’m beyond grateful. I believe that when taking the massive decision of wanting to start up your own family, you have to analyse your situa-tion, your mindset and your relationship. If your child can’t grow up in a positive, loving and caring environ-ment, then you should think twice about making one.

It’s easy to be a dad but it takes a real man to be a father. No one said it was easy and you have to go through a lot, but your child’s wellbeing and positive mindset is at risk if you aren’t that strong father for them. So fathers need to pull up their socks, stand up tall with chests out and create their own posi-tive fatherhood stories, ones that the media can’t ignore!

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#KamRantz

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tion government but also by the numerous medi-cal organisations is testament to this. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), the UK’s largest medi-cal college says the health and social care bill will ‘damage patient care and jeopardise the NHS’. Their sentiments are shared by the British Medi-cal Association (BMA) and the Faculty of Public Health who also want to see the bill withdrawn.

The greatest fear of the reform is the increase of competition in the NHS. The fact that this will lead to the increased use of private medicine makes it inevitable that profit will be put before patients; this is the antithesis of the core principles of the NHS. If the coalition government implements these reforms they will be closing the door on comprehensive healthcare in the UK, and opening the door to a US style medical market. If this is the case it seems like this change will lead to the tragedy not triumph.

Bright and Bleak : What The Fate Of The

NHS?By Dami Abajingin

Change is an inevitable part of life, whether you embrace it or ignore it, it will happen regardless. Nothing is safe from it, not even the once deemed unshakable National Health Service (NHS). As the debate about the future of the NHS continues to be characterised by confusion one thing is clear; the NHS as we know it is soon to be a thing of the past. Nicholas Timmins, the Financial Times public policy editor has described the NHS reform as: ‘the biggest structural upheaval since 1974’. Despite the coalition government promising that there will not be any further top-down reorganisation of the NHS that is exactly what is happening.

The responses to these potential changes have been met with hostility to say the least. Lord Crisp, a crossbench peer, who served as the chief execu-tive of the NHS between 2000 and 2006 has urged the coalition to scrap the Health and Social Care bill. Crisp has denounced the changes as: ‘unnec-essary in many ways’ he told Radio 4’s The World this Weekend. Concluding that these reforms out-lined in the bill will be ‘unfortunately setting the NHS back’. The shadow health secretary Andy Burnham also criticised the bill, claiming that it ‘breaks with 63 years of NHS history’.

It is not necessarily clear if what Mr. Burnham is saying is such a terrible thing. After all a trip down the NHS memory lane is not a trip down one paved with gold; it is more of a dark grey asphalt cement lane with the occasional cracks, cracks that get more frequent and more wide the nearer you get to present day. These cracks need to be repaired; however it is unclear whether these proposed re-forms will be able to repair the cracks sufficiently.

The fact that the Health and Social Care bill is be-ing vehemently opposed not only by the opposi-

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“Jemini where are we, is this Knightsbridge”? In a puzzled state of mind I questioned one of my right-hand men and creative extraordinaire as to where we were. After taking one wrong turn too many we ended up on the outskirts of Victoria, we had to get back to Knightsbridge to meet the founder of ODF Clothing Nicholas Amfo and one thing I don’t like is tardiness. So even though Nicholas was running late, I can’t afford to do the same thing. After just about making it back to Knightsbridge in good time and paying an exorbitant parking fee, we strapped up all our equip-ment and made our way to Harrods where we were to meet Nicholas. This was a meet that I was incredibly excited about as I had witnessed the growth of Nicholas and his ventures over the past 18 months and had nothing but great admira-tion for him.

Upon arrival we exchanged greetings, Nicholas apologised for being late and introduced us to a friend he’d brought along. A sweet lady called Elizabeth but more commonly known to many people as ‘Liz Liz Live’, the highly subscribed Youtube vlogger. Nupé and Liz are hopefully going to be working on some great stuff for our different sets of fans. Liz then went off to do some vox pops work with Jemini which you should keep your eyes pealed for and I took Nicholas off to a cosy Lebanese restaurant to delve a little deeper into ODF and him as a person.

Due to his humble nature and wanting everything to be about the brand, it took some persuading to get Nicholas onboard for the interview, but by the end it was definitely not a decision for the 23 year old to regret. I congratulated him on his recent showcase at London Fashion Week and we began with Nicholas telling us how he, “loves to develop small businesses and make a difference”. He then went on to tell us how he got into fashion in the first place. “I was in a mu-sic group and wanted to represent myself in a different way so I created some t-shirts called ‘Ow DU Feel’ which was a way to express myself and my views on society. After a while I saw the brand and fashion in general as an influence, as a lifestyle culture. So it developed into ODF Clothing which stands for One Diverse Fashion”. If i had any doubts in my mind as to the credibility of the guy, they were removed instantly as that statement was right on the money and showed this was a guy who knew what he was talking about.

“loves to develop small businesses and make a difference”

After following ODF from the Ow DU Feel days, I was interested as to what made him decide to go for a more high end feel, especially as the brand was relatively successful entrenched in it’s urban roots. “People grow and it’s important to present something that people can grow into. At the time the Ow Du Feel t-shirts were going well but I was growing as a person so I

By Tj Morgan

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“It’s a privilege, it’s an honour and

it’s a greatopportunity.”

had to portray that with my clothing. I think it was im-portant to present something which was so simple but also enabled people to stand out. Ow Du Feel wasn’t a durable statement or theme and it wasn’t something I could see myself wearing for a long time”. I was quite impressed by that answer as he didn’t include anything to do with getting more money or catering for a higher class of individual. He just felt that progression was unavoidable if he wanted to do things right. It can be a lesson to be learnt for many entrepreneurs as they seek to venture outside of their comfort zone.

Continuing on, from all I had seen about Nicholas over the past year or so I could tell he was an enter-prising guy and wanted to know what else he would be involved in if it were not for fashion. After let-ting off some nervous laughs and telling us that it would probably be music, he then went on to tell us another very telling statement. “One thing I really like doing is developing small businesses, as it’s a challenge and I don’t like things just falling on a plate for me. I definitely like to strive for things”. Moving on to ask him some more about his previous music career and where he got his name from, he broke it down: “Supernova to me is like an illuminating star, so even though it’s dark you still see it. I’m a dark skin individual but regardless you still see me (bursts out laughing) . Dex is short for an energy supplement called Dextro and I feel that I have a lot of energy with my strive and persona. There’s so much energy to me and that’s what keeps me going”. So a man that is fashionable, driven and likes hard work, ladies you need to scoop him up before he departs from the market.

Nicholas had already given me such great informa-tion but I wanted to know more, I wanted to get to the core of the man. So I wanted to see how he dealt with praise, as I asked him about being chosen as an ambassador for the ‘Spirit Of London Awards’ (SOLA). The ‘Spirit Of London Awards’ has been created to cel-ebrate ‘the unsung young heroes of our local commu-

nities’, so it was intriguing to know his thoughts on the matter. “It’s a privilege, it’s an honour and it’s a great opportunity. It’s a chance for a lot of people around me and younger people to see that it’s possible. That if you put your mind to something and you focus and there’s not fear in you, you can take on a lot of things. It’s just a great platform for me to work with”. It was quite apparent that to me that there was something

stirring within the soul of this man, feeling slightly puzzled I examined him. I saw that the nervous guy that begun the interview was now totally at ease and feeling at home. Even the constant staring of the trio of three stylish looking tourists beside us could not put him off and at that moment it stopped being an interview and became a conversa-tion between friends.

We then went onto discuss certain happenings of life that had made him into the person that he is and wants to improve upon. “there’s a

lot of people that aren’t around me no more due to sit-uations. Some have passed and some people are in jail, so what I’m doing now, I’m representing it for them. Their last words to me were go hard and put your all into it. So I see it as I have freedom I have opportuni-ties I have chances, so If I’m not going to do it for myself then at least let me do it for their state of mind because I know that if they could do it, I’m sure they

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would”. We continued on this slightly solemn path as we also talked about what gives him inspiration and what keeps him going through tough times. Every keen entrepreneur will hit some points where they think that they’ve run out of patience. I experienced many a day like that myself. He begins by touch-ing on issues of faith to him. “God. God keeps me sane. Definitely my parents keep me humble, they keep me going, keep me striving and definitely the peo-ple around me. (smiles at me) Even yourself, a young entrepreneur trying to do something, it keeps me on my toes”. I can definitely agree with that last state-ment and respect it, as many people believe business is about being solely out for yourself but it is also about appreciating what people are doing around you and aiming to better yourself. Even if another person’s business is going through tough times, there may be something to still take out of what they’re doing. Nicholas touches on the issue of tough times as he continues to say: “I think something that any young person or entrepreneur needs to understand is that life is like a war, victory is never on your side so you got to keep going! But one thing that I’ve been able to develop is that the only competition I have is myself. So I’m striving to be better than I was yesterday. It sounds easy but it’s actually hard (we both burst out laughing in mutual agreement) But we’ll get there, we’ll get there”.

“...life is like a war, victory is never on your side so you got to keep

going!...”We then went through a light-hearted juncture in our discussion as he told me that if he could pick a celebrity to be the mother to his children, it would be “Megan Goode, I don’t know if she can be the mother to my kids but she can definitely be wifey”. He also described his work ethic as “a lion. I got to be a king man, king on my own”. Continuing the sequence of questions he said he couldn’t describe his personality as a pair of trainers due to the fact that “I haven’t brought out my own trainers yet”. Then he then rounded up by choos-ing; Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, Sean John and Trapstar in a 5-aside dream team of designers and clothing labels.It was getting to the tail-end of the discussion so before we finished with for-malities I just had to get some more out of him, so I asked him a fairly simple question; what does success mean to you? After shuffling around with his

hands for a while he told me: “Everyone has different ideas and concepts as to what success is, but to me success is based on an individual. Some people might see this as cheesy but you can’t spell success without u”. After probing him for a more definitive answer, he then went on to say: “You don’t actually have to achieve something to be classed as successful, I think it’s just a state of mind. For example you could be caught up in a circle where you can’t grow and see beyond that. So to then see beyond that circle and do something is in my eyes successful.”

After portraying himself as quite the deep thinker I then thought of our readers and asked him if he had any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those that may be interested in fashion. “Most important thing I can say is to be yourself as no-one knows you like you do. Try to tackle yourself and be disciplined as discipline is very essential, understand noth-ing works unless you do”. Again, this is a statement I can fully agree with as my most fruitful business moments have come when I’ve put in the long yards and worked my fingers to the bone. “Hard work is not a guarantee of success but it gives the willing entrepreneur a leg up” is a quote from one of my favourite entrepreneurs, A.J. Scribante and I believe it is some-thing that, anybody wanting to achieve something can take with them.

Rounding off Nicholas spoke of how people should look out for ODF TV on Youtube, their upcoming collection for the new season and their junior range which is due to launch in April this year. Throughout the interview my respect for the guy grew and grew as he exuded a calm and determined head, so it was clear that he is a guy that is destined for great things. That piece of terminology is bandied about quite a bit but I firmly believe that it is true in the case of Nicholas Amfo, a name that is soon to sound quite familiar to many of you. He closed with the following statement: “Last but no least, embrace our slogan, we’re ‘standing in to stand out’. Never be afraid to stand out because it’s better to be remembered for standing out in a crowd than forgotten for blending in”.

www.odfclothing.com

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Narcissism and Social Media

I am what you might call a photophile; I love taking pictures. Social media enables millions like me to share pictures; amongst other things. Facebook, Twitter, blogspot, Tumblr etc invites us to share elements of our world on a public platform. The outcome of this has arguably led to the increase of narcissism. The Telegraph published a article last year claiming that excessive use of social media ‘breeds’ narcissism; yes breeds. Is there an element of truth to this hyperbolic claim? Or is the power of social media being wildly overstated?

For those unfamiliar with Greek mythology the word narcissism originates from the story of a man named Narcissus. Narcissus saw his reflection in a pool and became so captivated that he fell in love with his reflection, unable to leave the beauty of his image Narcissus remained there and eventually died. Hence the term narcissism, this is often understood as being self-centred or what is colloquially called being ‘gassed’. However, this definition is one dimensional and does not fully capture what it means to be a truly narcissistic person. The term has become mainstream and misconstrued. In psychology being narcissistic goes far beyond being self-centred, or vain. A narcissistic person is someone who demonstrates a lack of empathy for other people, someone who manipulates to achieve their ends. The narcissist thinks that they deserve special treatment because they suffer from delusions of grandeur.

Is it really plausible that the increase in social media has resulted in an increase of narcissism? Social media expert Christiana Mbakwe rejects this notion, she argues that social media: ‘magnifies pre-existing traits, social media acts as a facilitator for certain behaviour’. To claim that social media has the power to causes people to behave in a particular way is unintelligible. It diminishes the significance of agency, our internal capacity to behave how we choose to behave. If a person is vain, they are not vain because of Facebook for example, the site itself cannot cause certain behaviour but it is a public platform to demonstrate certain behaviour.

The claims that social media makes people self-centred neglects the glaringly obvious fact that not everyone who uses these sites display (one dimensional) narcissist traits. After all these sites can be a great platform for sharing non agent-centric thoughts and ideas. Even if you do use social media sites just to inform people of what you’re doing, and what you’re wearing while you do what you’re doing, that does not mean you should be demonised by being labelled narcissistic. Despite the fact that social media has become an indispensible social tool, it remains a small facet in our social existence as a whole, its significance should not be overstated.

These sites are spheres where we share a particular version of ourselves, what we choose to make public are not reflections of who we truly are in totality. There is a difference between being vulgarly vain and being confident or having a positive conception of self-worth. The latter should not be attributed to narcissism as it often is falsely.

By Dami Abajingin

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WalterHarris

Interview

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25 Second Entrepreneur Inquisition

In an attempt to not pack the magazine with long-winded interviews, we decided to take a new approach to proceedings. We meet up with a rising entrepreneur and give them 25 seconds to answer the question. The

first person to walk the plank was Walter Harris, a surging player in the music scene.

Who Are You And What Do You Do?I’m an entrepreneur who owns a music group called Blue Colla. Thich includes a management company that looks after acts like rapper Scorcher, RnB vocalist Haynzy, House Artist KCAT & Funky House MC Tribal Magz & several high profile music producers and song writers. There’s also a video production company called Blue Colla Media, where we look after high profile music video directors such as Digital Dan, Rahul D’Cruz, Brad Watson and Kalvadour Peterson

How Did You Get Into The Field?I started off as a budding music producer, bought myself a midi keyboard, booked a course and went out there and networked. Initially I was naive and just followed my dreams and I ended up falling flat on my face on a few of my early projects but it was a learning curve. Eventually I decided to manage one of the artists I was producing for and I haven’t looked back since.

Why Did You Choose This Field?My passion for music and the feeling I had something to contribute.

Tell About Some Of Your Worst And Best Business Experiences

Worst ExperienceHappened when I started out by putting money into several music projects and not getting a penny back. Since I didn’t do enough research into the potential income streams and the target market.

Best Experience Number 1Putting money into projects and getting it right by making a profit and seeing people enjoy the product.

Best Experience Number 2Starting up a video production business, which is going from strength to strength by bringing in a good income and growing our network

modern social issues such as addiction, prostitution and police injustice with a haunting voice that will have you feeling every word in your soul.

Born in the heart of East London, ‘Maverick Sabre’, real name Michael Stafford, was raised in County Wexford, Ireland, where he often accompanied his musician father to live shows and listened to classic soulful and rock albums that have undoubtedly moulded the singer/rapper’s style. However it was Maverick’s older sister who opened his eyes to a love of hip-hop and R&B (great woman!) that would go on to propel his career to the next phase and provide him with an edge that sets him apart from most in the music industry.

Sabre started out performing on the small-but-thriving Irish hip hop scene, combining his rap lyrics with singing and before long was sup-porting the likes of international rappers ‘The Game‘, ‘Lloyd Banks’ and most importantly, chart topping UK sensation ‘Plan B’, who after hearing him sing, convinced Maverick, who was only 17 at the time, to move back to his hometown.

Following support and advice from Plan B (aka Ben Drew), he used platforms such as online youth broadcaster SB.TV and support from radio stations such as BBC Radio 1Xtra to capture an ever-growing fan base. Maverick’s distinctive, soulful voice did not go unnoticed as he gained himself a guest appearance on London rapper Professor Green’s award winning Top 40 single Jungle and also a spot on Chase & Status’ top 3 album No More Idols.

All this took place while the singer-songwriter was in the process of completing his debut project, The Travelling Man, in which he fused different musical styles ranging from dubstep and grime to soul. The free 10 track mixtape included club anthems such as Run To The Roof but also thought-provoking songs such as Sometimes featuring chart topper Wretch 32, and has gone on to achieve critical acclaim. (not bad for a first attempt)

The release of the mixtape coincided with news that Sabre had penned a deal with UK major record label Mercury Records. This was the vital recognition he deserved and followed up The Travelling Man in March 2011 with his debut EP The Lost Words. Maverick used the EP, which included Radio One championed Where We Gonna Go, to showcase his wide range of vocal talents and ability to combine social-political relevance with dubstep infused beats. (I dare you to listen and not bop your head)

Following an appearance on music show Jools Holland, the man dubbed ‘the Male Amy Winehouse’ by Radio One DJ Hew Stevens, recently released his debut single Let Me Go charting at number 16 and quickly followed up with his debut album entitled Lonely Are The Brave which achieved number 2 in the UK Chart.

Maverick has toured the country with known artists, from Cee Lo Green to Chase & Status and is currently touring himself. Check him out in a town or city near you!

Or follow him on twitter @mavericksabre

By Chris Owusu

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Music Spotlight: Maverick Sabre

If you haven’t heard of this hip-hop inspired, soulful, folk lyricist (with an uncanny resemblance to Wayne Rooney I must add) then you have been depriving your ears of a style of music that can only be described as ‘classic’. This 20 year old possesses the unique ability to address

Social networking at its genesis was the new phenomena, bulldozing social barriers in order to revitalise and aggrandise connection and communication on an aggregate scale. It sparked a digital revolution, as interaction with your fellow peers was now fun, free, fast and instant, granting unregulated access to anyone who possessed a cyber passport, in this newly formed virtual society governed by pre-determined algorithms. Social networking really developed momentum as it enveloped a more personal approach to the users’ experience. This new paradigm shift, divorced itself more from ‘group interaction’ and began flirting with a more familiar setting, where the user was circumvented by their selected associates , and empowering them to inhibit the inflow of contingent virtual migrants. A decade on from this networking boom, we are now at the mercy of these social co-operations, whose insidious tyranny seem to be a gapping distance form expiration. They have evolved, reinforced their artillery, and now have created a platform where nothing is inconceivable. Extending this premise, we must now ask ourselves how social networks can take their agenda to the next level and in what way will this affect our social experience?

Facebook, Twitter and Skype, have all assimilated into the formalities of our tedious and depressing lives, building off the vertebrates of their predecessors, to provide a service, which we can’t imagine ourselves living without. It has become systematic for us to aimlessly stalk through people’s photo albums, refresh the web browser for new status updates, and suspend revision in order to scrutinise people’s lives more interesting

than our own. These social platforms which have galvanised a fresh perspective to how we socially operate and interact, have undoubtedly played a crucial role in making the globe a more open and integrated forum; but to what cost? Social activity has exacerbated on a immense scale, but as you scroll down each generation from the hard headed geriatrics, to the current scruple-less ‘generation x’, you detect a gradual reduction in social skills on a personal level. These social powerhouses create a comfort-zone, which is detrimental to the conventional ‘face to face’ interaction, as an apathetic induced atmosphere has manifested due to the ease in which people can communicate with their peers through these electronic mediums. Of course, there is relevance with these virtual products, as it mitigates the exasperation generated by both time lags and distance; however, it does detach you from reality if you manage to get deeply consumed by its allure, as it potent dosages of ‘cyber dopamine’ keeps us unconsciously addicted. With all this said, we cannot dismiss the significance of these mediums, as through them knowledge disseminates more fluidly due to these lubricants which help drag people out the cloud of ignorance in this information age. Nonetheless, living in a world where people develop two distinctive personalities, for the two dimensions there are embroiled in, is a daunting concept to fathom, from being criminally confident behind the screen, to being incredibly reclusive in the real.

The future of social networking can range from anything to everything; its reach has no bounds. People’s

indifference to the stealth intrusion of privacy has strengthened social networks from the grass roots, and has energised its perpetual growth into the realms of unrestricted transparency. The amount of cyber sovereignty that has been sacrificed, even just through the process of subscription is immense. Facebook for example (who are privacy anarchists), doesn’t allow you to every truly sever yourself from the Facebook community, instead you are only given the option to put your account into hibernation in the hope that you will return and plug yourself back into the ‘Facebook Matrix’. Our information is suspiciously stored and shared with government officials who utilise it with the agenda of ‘increasing security’; maybe in the future, statute will be passed in the American Senate and Houses of Parliament, making it illegal to not have a Facebook account. Maybe I’m just an old romantic, hypnotised by the scent of nostalgia, where I’m reminiscing a world once was, where there was privacy, human interaction and walks in the park. Why shouldn’t there be a change to the social dynamics, in which human interaction is founded upon? Evolution continuously takes it course, maliciously crucifying those reluctant or inept to adapt, but regardless of what your stance on social networking may be, don’t be surprised in the next 10 years when your voting for the next Prime Minister and paying your utility bills off one of them.

Twitter: Kaiser_Da_Don

By Jordan Phillips

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Credit Crunch Hunch

It seems that nowadays the cost of most things has skyrocketed whilst the wages and salaries of most people haven’t experienced the same increases, leaving many people struggling to cover costs. So I decided to collect money-saving tips from people I came across online and I have a hunch that they will beneficial to at least one of you. I begin with tips on how to shave a little off scandalous Nation Rail ticket prices and how to reduce the effect of wrinkles without splurging on Botox.

Tea Bagging

After complaining on Facebook about the fact I’m getting older and wrinkles are soon to come, an auntie replied in loud capitals: “USE TEABAGS!”. After calming down from the shock of her cyber-shouting at me, I asked fro more details. She told me that after using a teabag, it should be preserved in the fridge for three days to allow the tea leaves to set. Then tea bags can be placed on closed eye lids (as shown in the picture) for 30 minutes. Repeating this process daily reduces the appearance of wrinkles. It makes no difference whether you use herbal tea or Earl Grey’s finest, the results are the same.

Trains Are A Pain

For all of us that commute, we have a common enemy in the form of exorbitant and unjustified ticket prices. However there is not much we can do about it, so it feels like we’re being held to ransom. So when I came across the following Facebook status (excuse the spelling and grammar), I decided to include it in this piece:

“IVE BEEN BAMBOOZLED BY NATIONAL RAIL!! I thought only TFL were mugs but how can it be cheaper 2 buy 2 tickets to ldn (Colchy 2 chelmsford for 5.75 then another ticket from chelmsford to ldn is 9.00) then buy a direct ticket to london (16.30) !! I know its only 1.55 difference but that could buy me many things!!”

The savings one each individual journey is not earth-shaking but it adds up over time. The essence of the saving as in the fact that instead of buying one ticket to travel across two area boundaries - London & Essex - two tickets were purchased to cover traveling to the boundary of Essex and another to cover traveling from the London Zone 6 boundary. I repeated this experiment when traveling between Hertfordshire and London, as I bought a ticket to the Zone 6 boundary and then another to my Hertfordshire destination. I also received similar savings, so now the question is; why don’t you find out if you can too.

There ends our first Credit Crunch Hunch but if you have any money-saving ideas that you have a hunch people can benefit from, then get in touch with us via our Facebook page ‘Nupe’, like the page and write on our wall.

Take care until next time.

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Marcus and KylaHnH Interview:

We caught up with young acting couple, Marcus Onilude and Kyla Frye to find out what it’s like to work in the same field as your partner, what the future holds for them and how well they know their partner. We

didn’t ask them who was the better actor as we didn’t want to cause any arguments.

We asked them about where their passion for acting comes from and Marcus said: “As a kid I always en-joyed being the centre of attention, so I guess my passion comes from my childhood and the need to per-

form and entertain”. Whilst Kyla told us: “I’m a born performer, I just love getting into character and telling their story”

What actor would you like to work with the most?Marcus: Denzel, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Chris Tucker, he gets me every time with his jokes.Kyla: Taraji P. Henson or Angelina Jolie

After getting his feet wet with small screen roles in Primeval and Casualty, Marcus told us how he’s looking forward to playing a guest lead in another Casualty episode soon and I’m sure many of our female readers would love him to check their pulse.He also told us how acting in Law & Order UK, Rev (BBC 2), and others shows on ITV such as Twenty Twelve, Coming Up, Increasingly Poor decisions of Todd Margaret and Identity have helped to give him a solid foun-dation in his craft.Kyla on the other hand reminisced on how grateful she felt to be cast in the Sheila Nortley short film ‘Zion’ and how she’s excited about her first feature film feature in ‘The Naked Poet’. Which type of character do you like to play?Marcus: I’m a big fan of anything comedy, whether it be TV or film but so far I’ve only had the chance to act in one comedy show (Coma Girl) which was aired on channel 4 last year. Going forward its got to be Com-edy related but as an actor I’m also keen to show my diversity and range and hopefully I’ll get the chance.Kyla: I like characters that have fascinating stories and roles that are far removed from my personality. They’re always challenging and interesting to play.

Couple ChallengeTo finish up, we got the couple to play a game to see who knows the other half better, We asked them what three things their partner could not leave home without and checked the answers with the other person afterwards.

Marcus, tell me 3 things Kyla could never leave home without:Lip Gloss, Blackberry and her music (Ipod)Kyla said she could never leave home without her Blackberry, Kindle/Script, iPod, so Marcus got two of three correct.

Kyla, tell us three things Marcus could never leave home without:Phone, keys and wallet.Marcus said he could never leave home without his iPhone, keys and wallet so Kyla got three out of three correct and therefore is the win-ner of the couple challenge. Don’t feel bad at losing Marcus, I’m sure a lot of guys wouldn’t have got one correct.

By Mulenga Bwali

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HnH TechWelcome to the first Tech column in the realms of our His & Her section. Once considered something which is

applicable to males only, members of the female sex have become key consumers of tech and gadgets. So have a gander below if you’re looking for something to purchase.

Women ghd AIR - £99 from www.ghdhair.com

GHD are known for their hair straighteners which have become a mainstay of early morning routines for many ladies. This hair dryer offered up from the same company may not achieve the same iconic status as it’s hair straightening friend but is sure to perform to the same impeccable standards.

Men iPad 3 -£Price Now ladies if you’re looking to please a man in your life whether it’s fam-ily, a friend or someone that you’re in a relationship with, then look no further than the iPad 3. There is no set release date as of yet but anticipa-tion is rife and judging on the two previous releases it is set to be another smash hit.

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Mulenga Bwali

Why not capture the moment from all angles with this beauty. This compact camera is one of the only ones to feature an adjustable flip out touch screen. For only £173.99, you could own it today. www.argos.co.uk

Keyboard Kindle 3G, light and compact than ever. The sleek 6 inch display e-reader come kitted with Global 3G and Wi-Fi, allowing to read up to 3,500 books on the go. For only For only £149, it is well worth the money! Visit www.amazon.co.uk

HTC have done their bit to improve audio on smart phones, by teaming up with Beats Audio. Wow I hear you say, you won’t be disappointed by this impressive handset. For more info visit: www.argos.co.uk

HnH RelationshipsHER It is a common myth that males and females have different perspectives on commitment. We all value the notion of trust, honesty, and mutual respect. As a female, I strongly believe that commitment is not a one way decision, with one partner deciding on the rules that the relationship is based on. Commitment rather is a mutual understanding and agreement of needs and requirements that you both expect from each other. What is crucial in this mix is communication. One can only ever reach a high commitment level if discussion takes place. I empathise with those who are worried about committing, due to past relationships and as a result suffer from, commitment phobia. It is more common than one would think. However, if you are already in a relationship, and suffer from commitment phobia, you must let your partner know and be able to openly discuss the relationship’s development openly and honestly to ensure that no one gets hurt. Com-mitment is an integral part in all relationships and constant communication is the way to understand and nurture this.

HIS Commitment in a relationship is a big thing; something you really need to be sure of. In general most women are ready for a commit-ment before men. As a male I can vouch for my fellow counterparts that we do want serious relationships, but there are some men that suf-fer from commitment phobia for a number of plausible reasons. 1. We love our freedom, being tied down means we have to consider someone else in our life, and if we are being honest it requires lot of time, energy and effort.2. We have goals that we are focused on achieving in our own lives before we are ready to focus on a relationship.3. Lastly, we are afraid to get it wrong; we fear that we may end up being tied down with the wrong one.Committing to a relationship is a two way process, both parties should know exactly where they stand in the relationship because they may well end up finding themselves in a convenient arrangement!

Commitment is usually the feared word that creeps up in relationships. But what does it actually mean? According to the Oxford English dictionary, commitment is a dedication to a cause, a promise or an obligation.

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3

Welcome Nupéians new and old to the first installment of a column designated to help all you fabulous guys and girls maintain your already gorgeous looks. Or if you’re bored with your current image, you may catch a thing or two here which will add a dash of something new. Non-conventional beautification advice applicable to both sexes will be supplied here. Due to their non-conventional nature, some of the ideas haven’t been certified as clinically safe by a medical lab. But they have been tested on me, so as I’ve not turned green and died, I guess it’s safe to say that they get the Nupé stamp of approval.

More Than A Sweet Taste And Seasoning SpiceHoney is commonly known for being that sweet, sticky sauce that becomes the best thing since sliced bread when roasted with ham and turmeric is the cupboard mainstay of many a gourmet and amateur chef. But what is not so commonly known is the fact that when both substances are combined they create a highly effective face mask that guarantees baby-soft skin which glows like a full moon on a foggy night.

Here are some simple instructions to create it and then get the best out of the sauce.Materials needed:- 1 tablespoon of honey- 1 teaspoon of turmeric- Face wash

1. Start by making a thick paste by combining the turmeric and honey.2. Wash your face with the face wash and gently dry or face.3. Apply the paste from step to step 1 to your face and gently caress in a circular motion.4. Then subtly apply some face wash and again caress in a circular motion. This is to exfoliate the skin.5. Then rinse off everything with warm water and finish with a second cold water rinse.

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2

Kryptonite For SpotsNow this next tip or at least the implementation of it is nothing new. But before you moan and groan and say that this is lazy journalism, just give me until the final full stop to show you it’s nothing of the sort.

Moving on briskly I’m sure you’ve caught a cold or had a blocked nose before. I’m also sure that some of you reading this have tried the old ‘vix in a hot bowl of water, with a towel over the head’ trick. In addition to clearing your sinuses and stinging your eyes, the vix vapour also says “open sesame” to your pores. This helps to clear trapped dirt and reduces the emergence of spots on your face. Carrying out this practice at least once a week will keep your face spot free and in pristine condition.

That’s it for this issue but if you have any non-conventional health & beautification tips to share, like ‘Nupe” on Facebook and drop a message on the wall.

BUBUSHllKYOr

Nothing Else

BUBUSHllKYOr

Nothing Else

B U B U S H II K Y is an innovative fashion brand that uses creativity and substance, to provide quality products that highlight particular elements of an individual’s style and personality. They mix traditional concepts, contemporary styles and unique ideas to produce trend setting badges of commitment and loyalty to what we stand for.

B U B U S H II K Y is regarded ‘The Heel Of Africa’, this is primarily because they use African patterns, fabrics and traditional styles to bring the beauty of the African culture to the world. Their products are not merely shoes displaying African prints or designs, but they also carry a worldwide message. B U B U S H II K Y strongly believes that Africa is not just a patch of land in the southern Hemisphere, but in addition to this; it encapsulates ideas and character traits that can be found in every individual.

Africa is beautiful, resourceful, strong, optimistic, diverse and much more. A heel is a form of support; it helps define the structure of the legs, assists the posture of the body and can transform any outfit or mood. At B U B U S H II K Y our products are a part of a process, through fashion they wish to support, assist and highlight the beauty of what Africa is, that they also believe can be found in every individual regardless of birthplace.

EnjoyThe

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FAVOURITE COMEBACK TRENDS

S S12 trends are looking hot hot hot! Get your pens ready to scribble a few notes down ladies…ready?ok.. The must

umbrella skirts, slouchy trousers and printed jackets! Pens down! Phew! Ok, now I know you’re thinking where can I possibly get all these garments from? Well I am here to help. Our trusted high street stores never let us down.

opportunities to wear lace for those who may have purchased too much of it last season. Is that a sigh of relief?

Here are some sexy little numbers for the lace lovers. Enjoy!

for this trend.Another trend which tickles my fancy is prints! This season we go all out with the prints from head to toe.. I’m talking printed jackets with matching bottoms; this trend is not for introverts. However if you are a bit shy, I suppose you could get away with

tops or printed jackets. It’s printastic!

My number one favourite, has got to be shimmer and shine of metallic skirts and dresses! I love shimmer, I love sparkle and I love elegance. Get you purses ready girls because I am about to spoil you with some shimmery treat.

TRAMAINE OCARLAY

SINCE 2000

TOPSHOPANIMAL PRINT BODYCON DRESS£29.00

NEW LOOKMULTICOLOURED PRINT GILET£19.99

TOPSHOPPETITE DAFFODIL PRINT BRALET TOP£24.00

RIVER ISLAND

CREAM LACE BELTED SKATER DRESS

£35.00

TOPSHOPPETITE LACE STRAPPY DRESS

£36.00

NEW LOOKLACE CUT OUT SKATER DRESS

£32.99

TOPSHOPOK CROP BY TEE AND CAKE

£20.00

H&MTROUSERS

£12.99MISS SELFRIDGEHINT ANIMAL PLATFORM SANDAL

WAS: £58.00NOW: £20.00

RIVER ISLANDPINK FESTIVAL PRINT PARASOL UMBRELLA

£15.00

RIVER ISLANDBLACK PRINT JACQUARD JUMPER

£40.00

RIVER ISLANDPINK PRINT SMART SHORTS

£25.00

RIVER ISLANDYELLOW CHAIN PRINT BRALET

£22.00

MISS SELFRIDGEPETITES MONOCHROME DRESS

£35.00

TOPSHOPMOJO LEOPARD PRINT SLIPPERS

£32.00

NEW LOOKANIMAL PRINT PEEPTOE WEDGE

£24.99

TOPSHOPPETITE METALLIC PLEAT MINI

£28.00

MISS SELFRIDGESILVER SEQUIN TOP BODY

£32.00

AMERICAN APPAREL THE DISCO SHORT

£45.00H&MSKIRT

£12.99

TOPSHOPANIMAL JACQUARD SKIRT

£38.00

H&MBALLET PUMP

£14.99RIVER ISLANDBLUE METALLIC LEATHER CIRCLE SKIRT

£70.00

RIVER ISLANDPINK METALLIC LEATHER SHORTS

£65.00

RIVER ISLANDCREAM EMBELLISHED TANK TOP

£35.00

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By Tramaine Ocarlay

33

34

FAVOURITE COMEBACK TRENDS

S S12 trends are looking hot hot hot! Get your pens ready to scribble a few notes down ladies…ready?ok.. The must

umbrella skirts, slouchy trousers and printed jackets! Pens down! Phew! Ok, now I know you’re thinking where can I possibly get all these garments from? Well I am here to help. Our trusted high street stores never let us down.

opportunities to wear lace for those who may have purchased too much of it last season. Is that a sigh of relief?

Here are some sexy little numbers for the lace lovers. Enjoy!

for this trend.Another trend which tickles my fancy is prints! This season we go all out with the prints from head to toe.. I’m talking printed jackets with matching bottoms; this trend is not for introverts. However if you are a bit shy, I suppose you could get away with

tops or printed jackets. It’s printastic!

My number one favourite, has got to be shimmer and shine of metallic skirts and dresses! I love shimmer, I love sparkle and I love elegance. Get you purses ready girls because I am about to spoil you with some shimmery treat.

TRAMAINE OCARLAY

SINCE 2000

TOPSHOPANIMAL PRINT BODYCON DRESS£29.00

NEW LOOKMULTICOLOURED PRINT GILET£19.99

TOPSHOPPETITE DAFFODIL PRINT BRALET TOP£24.00

RIVER ISLAND

CREAM LACE BELTED SKATER DRESS

£35.00

TOPSHOPPETITE LACE STRAPPY DRESS

£36.00

NEW LOOKLACE CUT OUT SKATER DRESS

£32.99

TOPSHOPOK CROP BY TEE AND CAKE

£20.00

H&MTROUSERS

£12.99MISS SELFRIDGEHINT ANIMAL PLATFORM SANDAL

WAS: £58.00NOW: £20.00

RIVER ISLANDPINK FESTIVAL PRINT PARASOL UMBRELLA

£15.00

RIVER ISLANDBLACK PRINT JACQUARD JUMPER

£40.00

RIVER ISLANDPINK PRINT SMART SHORTS

£25.00

RIVER ISLANDYELLOW CHAIN PRINT BRALET

£22.00

MISS SELFRIDGEPETITES MONOCHROME DRESS

£35.00

TOPSHOPMOJO LEOPARD PRINT SLIPPERS

£32.00

NEW LOOKANIMAL PRINT PEEPTOE WEDGE

£24.99

TOPSHOPPETITE METALLIC PLEAT MINI

£28.00

MISS SELFRIDGESILVER SEQUIN TOP BODY

£32.00

AMERICAN APPAREL THE DISCO SHORT

£45.00H&MSKIRT

£12.99

TOPSHOPANIMAL JACQUARD SKIRT

£38.00

H&MBALLET PUMP

£14.99RIVER ISLANDBLUE METALLIC LEATHER CIRCLE SKIRT

£70.00

RIVER ISLANDPINK METALLIC LEATHER SHORTS

£65.00

RIVER ISLANDCREAM EMBELLISHED TANK TOP

£35.00

30

35

By Kamran AssadiWe meet the man behind ‘That Grape Juice’

I love music as much as the next guy and I’m always looking for my new music fix or the latest entertainment news/gossip in the scene, I’m a fiend for it. One of the websites I check regularly is the always up-to-date Urban Pop Culture website That Grape Juice. This site has been running independently for 5 years and is run by a personal inspiration of mine, Founder/Editor Sam Ajilore. Sam has taken an idea formed in university and grown it into a successful creative venture all off his own back. The site includes music news, music, and celebrity interviews and has now formed an online TV strand.

I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Sam and get an insight into the man behind the vision as well as more about That Grape Juice, how they came about, “Stans”, and what new artists he recommends we keep an eye out for…

So Sam, give us a little introduction and background into yourself...

Sure! I am the Founder and Editor of That Grape Juice - one of the net’s premier Urban Pop Culture outlets. A one stop shop for ‘Urban’ news, music, celeb interviews, and a whole lot more, I started the site in 2007.

Fast forward five years, and I feel so blessed to say that we’re generating over 50,000 hits a day and count the likes of Kelly Rowland and Toni Braxton as fans!

Firstly, I just want to say that I truly admire you as you saw a gap in the entertainment market and used your passion to make your own opportunities via your online entertainment platform, That Grape Juice. Can you tell us how the idea of That Grape Juice came about and what made you want to start it up?

Thank you so much! I must, before answering, say a huge thank you to Nupé. I’m truly humbled by your support.

Well, the “idea” initially came to me back in 2006. Aged 18, I had just made a decision which I’d later find would change the course of my little life. Just weeks before starting University, and knowing I’d picked the wrong course, I made a last minute switch - from Law to Media. A switch which left my Nigerian parents none-too-impressed. Still, I remained respectfully unshaken by their worry. And while studying something I actually enjoyed offered many a benefit, it couldn’t offer me the one thing I so wanted at the time - campus accommodation! The erratic nature of my course change meant I had to release myself into Clearing (to apply to the same Uni …and, frustratingly, the same department!) A process which meant I also lost my room on campus. As such, while most Fresher’s got to know each other at BBQ’s, house parties, raves, and of course lectures, I spent much of my first year on the Metropolitan Line, darting between Uni and home. Two hours away.

“Better than nothing” I thought when finally offered a room at the Uni’s only remaining off-campus Halls at the start of 2007. Yes, I’d be able to shave the ‘0’ off my 120 minute journey; however I’d still be away from the buzz that that first year offers for all. Still, it was too good an offer to pass up. In I moved… And while my social experience was greatly enhanced, my Fresher-free Halls left me with many a solo moment. Moments I would use to listen to music and catch up on the celeb “new-new” on sites such as Concrete Loop and Perez Hilton - sites then at the forefront of the “blog movement”.

Then it, quite literally hit me. I love Urban music. I’m opinionated. I can articulate myself well. And I sure as hell have a lot of time on my hands. Why not combine these into something. Anything. I began reminiscing on an A-Level Media project I had achieved an ‘A’ grade on a few months prior – a sample Urban magazine called The Grape Vine. A spin on the classic Marvin Gaye song of

the same title, my magazine’s grape vine wasn’t to be like the unreliable, gossipy grape vine described in the song. My grape vine was going to be concrete, legit, yet at the same time equally, if not more, entertaining!

So, drawing on aspects of the magazine’s concept as well as today’s blog/internet culture of supplying the ‘juice’, That Grape Juice was born. The rest, as “Disney” as it sounds, is history!

If you could describe yourself (in terms of music and personality) in a food dish, what would it be and why?

Hmm. I’ll probably re-read this and cringe, but I’d have to say a good, seasoned Christmas Turkey! Why? It’s flavoursome, bursting with a range of tastes, and houses pleasant surprises when you cut beneath the surface.

What does music, gossip and entertainment mean to you?

Music means everything to me! And not in the cliché way some folk love to claim. I legitimately mean it. For every important point in my life, there’s a song or album which has served as a soundtrack. From my Michael Jackson-filled childhood, to the Usher, TLC and Destiny’s Child which dominated my teen years, to the tracks which defined my Uni tenure. Music, in both its deepest and densest forms, is an integral part of my little world. Everything from the lyrical narratives which pick me up when I feel like crap, to the cautionary tales, to that infectious beat I can’t get out of my head, and the powerhouse vocal which blew me away. Put simply, music, quite literally, is my world.

Gossip not so much. However, I’ve long been a believer that “reading” can be just as engaging as the visual and audio products which have come to define modern “entertainment”. As such, one of our main goals with That Grape Juice is to serve up writing that is (at its core) entertaining, yet reliable.

This year, you moved ahead of the game by launching the online TV strand of That Grape Juice called That Grape Juice TV which launched with such solid features as The Word, The Business and The Splash way before any of your online competitors did. Why did you feel the need to do this? What was the reason behind it?

Between my family, mentors, and religion, I’ve had it drilled into me that “anything is possible”. A belief which served as invaluable when embarking on the That Grape Juice TV venture.

Expanding our video output is something I’d been keen to do for some time (particularly our acoustic show, The Splash). I mean, blogs are “hot” right now (and I envision they will be for a VERY long time), however it’s really important to cultivate new avenues for one’s brand before hitting a glass ceiling. I don’t foresee any such ceiling at the moment, yet I felt compelled to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, it’s no different to when artists take on movie roles, and launch perfume lines. For, it’s those artists - more times than not - who last the distance. True longevity, I’m learning, comes from innovation.

With some of the posts you put up on the site, you easily hit figures of between 200 - 700 comments from music lovers and artist “Stans”. Why do you think that is? And for our readers, can you explain what a “Stan” actually is?

As a writer, there is no greater feeling than knowing your writing will be consumed by a large and vocal audience. Hence, the “Stans” housed in the comments section of That Grape Juice are just as much responsible for the site’s success as the team behind the site. I feel they gravitate to TGJ, because - as professional as we ensure we are as writers - we don’t hold back. A facet all but lost in the mainstream media; media which is all too often contaminated by political and corporate agendas.

We call a spade a spade. Hence if an artist sounded

like crap, we’ll call it that. Of course, everyone has an opinion. As such, if you happen to disagree with us, we provide a platform for you to tell it like it is. I think it’s our balanced mix of the ‘professional’ and ‘personal’ which makes That Grape Juice so compelling for our readership.

Who and what would you count as your greatest inspirations? Who helped you to get where you are now?

God! First always. My family. My friends. My mentors. And Michael Jackson! A lifelong fan (through the good, bad, and tragic), it was his music and vision which birthed my love for music.

Who has influenced you in a positive manner and why?

Cliché sounding perhaps, but I’d definitely say my family. I truly credit them for conditioning me to be able to deal with the craziness that has been my little world for the last five years. From a young age, they taught me that we’re all equal. They taught me to do unto others as I’d want to be done unto me. They taught me to give thanks. And, above all, they taught me that the “good” in my life was not by my doing alone. All traits I feel have shaped my success.

What new artists/bands from the UK and America would you recommend to look out for?

On the UK tip, Daley is amazing! As is a singer-actress named Cynthia Erivo. An American act I’m really loving at the moment is a newcomer called Luke James. His vocals are off the Richter!

What do you think of the music scene at the moment, in particular the role that online technology and social networks are playing their part in it?

The music scene is in a transitional period. If you’d asked me this question even a year ago, I would have argued it was a negative transition. After all, it’s largely the same artists at the top, churning out songs which -more times than not- sound exactly the same.

However, online technology and social networks are playing an increasing role in the discovery of new talent - both by labels and listeners. Indeed, platforms such as our very own Splash are assisting the cause. A trend which makes the notion of charts in 5 years’ time rather exciting.

Do you have any future projects in the pipeline? Anything you can let us know about?

We have A LOT in store! You’ll have to keep it locked on That Grape Juice to see it all unravel. Exciting times lay ahead, I can definitely say that much.

What does success mean to you? Any advice you would like to give our readers?

More than “wealth” and “status”, true success (in my opinion) is remaining the same you in your journey towards both - as well as when you achieve them.

So there you have it, a true hard-working creative individual who has enough ambitions to fill a room. I can’t wait to see what That Grape Juice will be coming up with next. To stay afloat of their developments and follow TGJ in everything they do, peep their information below:

Website - ThatGrapeJuice.net Email - sam@thatgrapejuice.net Twitter - @ThatGrapeJuice Facebook - /ThatGrapeJuice

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With over a billion people using sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, circles of communication are growing vastly. The way you project yourself to the cyber world arguably requires more care and guile than the outside world. So attempting to start off with the basics of joining a new network, we’ve come up with a few pointers that guarantee safe navigation.

1: Why Am I Here?Before joining a social network, know exactly what you want, what the network does and if those two aspects come together in a positive way for you. For example if you were looking for employment opportunities and business contacts, you would favour LinkedIn over a site such as Pinterest. So choose the right one for you.

2: Smile For The Camera!As a rule of thumb always have a decent profile picture uploaded before you

begin making forages on a network. The only time you can escape having a picture if when you’re operating a brand or organisation page. The profile picture is a first impression so please ensure you’re on your best behaviour. Pictures of drunken nights out may provide good memories but they also provide barriers to making a good impression.

3: Why Should They Add You?If you’re sending an add request to a stranger and you want to ensure that your request gets careful consideration, kindly attach a message of why you want to connect. There’s a lot of potential dangers online so it is imperative that one stays vigilant. Therefore do not get annoyed if someone rejects your request, you are not a cyber-deity whose given right is to command attention from any person.

4: Talk To Me!If you want to get the best out of online

relationships with people, talk to them. Don’t expect by just liking or re-sharing another person’s posts that they will be receptive if you ever request anything from them online. Also there is the overriding feeling that, why join a social network and add people if you’re not going to talk to them? Truth be told we all find ourselves guilty of this as we have friends lists that are so large, it would be improbable if not impossible to converse with all of them.

5: Take It SlowLastly, as you get your feet wet within a network it is important to not commit vpr (virtual pr) suicide. So in order to not alienate people and ensure your vpr doesn’t need cpr, embark on your social network journey in a conservative manner. Avoid getting involved in debates on religion or politics until you’ve got the trust of your timeline. Also please refrain from solely becoming a billboard for one of your ventures. Self-promotion is good but after doing constantly for some time, it can annoying to people who receive it.

Social NetworkEtiquette:Joining a New Network

By Mulenga Bwali

New Years are always full of new starts, new promises and new resolutions that we have every intention of keeping but come February or March, these things are just a faded memory that have been broken and disobeyed. We are also have a lot of people talk about this year

being their year. I say just let your success make all the noise!

My New Year was given a massive boost when I received this poetry submission from talented poet/Poetry Section contributor Banwo Idowu. This poem explores the concept of a lonely lost soul (in the form of an astronaut) and the dreams and aspirations that he has.

Talking from that low place, it’s really the way the way that it’s articulated that draws the reader in to follow the journey portrayed in the poem. In the end, the writer talks about their positive attributes and saving the day when needed, as well as what they can give and offer to the world before they depart from this world. But as realised at the end, all this astronaut wants to do is visit that perfect world that he

has always envisioned in his mind that he would be a part of. This is a beautifully, thought-out poem that really takes you on a journey in detail of the power that we have as individuals to affect change and inspire ourselves as well as each other! A very inspiring read for me,

and I hope that this can give you the kick-start needed to make 2012 a successful year!

The Lonely Astronaut

The Lonely Astronaut

I am the lonely astronaut with only one thing to gain, To build my own world with no tears nor pain. If it takes me a thousand lifetimes, I will pursue my goalIf my youth expires and old age may take its toll.

I will build my own rocket ship out of the material of my dreams, And construct till sore are my hands and there’s blood on my knees…I will not stop though I sweat blood and all my strengths fade away, For to this glorious cause… my very own life am I willing to pay.

I have never known friends and all my family are long since past, My very own life have I sealed away and my face covered with a mask…The unknown hero of this world will I be,No knighthood, medals nor applause will await me…However despite this unfriendly truth I am content…Much rather would I go through this than to see all known good, spent…

Many years will it take to build my planet perfect,As I alone will be the planners, workers, the architect.There will be no work too hard for me to toil,And I will never ever stop though my heart aches and my red blood boils.For too long now has our current world been subject to damage,As corrupt leaders, war and selfishness have been the ones to manage.It is time to form one wondrous world where none will suffer loss,

Where the paths of righteousness and sin, dark and light will never cross…

And when I’m done all will be transported, mind, body and soul,To a land where they will embody the lonely astronaut’s goal...Never again will they desire war and nobody will be left lacking, No disease, no fatal conditions and no hearts will be attacking.Forget all hierarchy as there will be neither slave nor master,And all hearts will be united as they look forward to the Heaven of the father.

Much a while must I travel before I find my vacant land,One with living waters and riches amongst the sand…On it I will build cities where everyone is king, And in the morning mouthfuls of greetings will every heart sing. No longer will one have to toil hard just to make ends meet, But they will walk with the softest paving under the soles of their feet.

No more unrequited love will leave a man’s heart yearning, But with a true and everlasting love will lovers’ hearts be burning.Broken families will be a thing of the past, As the bonds between parents will have the guarantee to last. Every man will stand hand to hand and heart to heart in emotions united,And to every eye will true feeling be lighted.

In each garden I will plant the seeds of mystical plants, Each petal in the radiance of the sun will appear to dance.

Review by Kamran Assadi

Though cut they may be, the trees will never dieBut they will exhale living gasses that every man may fly The thistles of plants will not draw blood from the palms of manBut their giant leaves in the heat of the day will they be a fan Oh every being on my planet will experience nature’s treasure, No longer will it be abused as they see its power beyond measure.

But let me stop fantasizing as I must get going,And as I clip on my tool belt, my eyes with tears begin flowing.I realize my last moments on my home planet grows ever so nearer,But I, the lonely astronaut must save this ship from sinking any deeper.I dry my eyes and screw my courage to the sticking place,One last time I look back, then to my newly built rocket I turn my face..As I say this with teary eyes and a fist tightly curled....That I, the one lonely astronaut must give my life to build their world..

Though I may never enjoy this perfect world still yet to be found, I pray that to my love and dreams may it forever be bound.So strap me up, the lonely astronaut is ready to fly..And for my dream of a perfect world I am ready to die....

© Banwo Idowu

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Is Hollywood A New British Colony?

Denzel Washington, Leonardo Di Caprio, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Jamie Foxx. These are all household names which have dominated Hollywood and cinemas for years. That is one common fact about them, another is that they are all American citizens. Now in recent years popular American actors have faced growing competition from the other side of the pond for leading roles. Actors from good ol’ Blighty have traveled to LA and have commandeered film castings in the process. This poses questions such as; is the UK film industry not big enough to fulfill the dreams of their most talented incumbents? What makes British actors so attractive to American casting directors? Who are the brightest hopes from the British Isles and will they continue to shine?

Hometown Glory Or Sad Story?Let’s begin by looking at the British film industry. It’s no surprise that our best actors are crossing over the pond because there just isn’t enough big money projects to demand the attention of rising stars. There is a lot of creative skill in the UK and some projects are arguably more diverse and interesting than US offerings, but lack of financial clout means these projects are not marketed to the masses properly, which then translates to low box-office revenues. Moreover the it seems that actors receive great training in the UK and set sail for the States to reap financial rewards. Prime examples of this occurrence include Aml Ameen and Tom Hardy. This is a fact that has not escaped even the likes of David Cameron who recently said that more money should be pumped into making British blockbusters. However these comments have not gone down well as Cameron suggested that funding for smaller scale independent projects be cut.

The American DreamBut what is it that is making British actors so special at the moment? It can’t purely be down to the fact they are relocating there as many foreigners from other countries must be doing the same. It must be down to such great training received on home shores that they are able to add more depth and character to the roles which they undertake. This in turn allows them to take on a wide range of roles. For example this can be seen in the recent work of Tom Hardy. In ‘Warrior’ one of the films of 2011 he plays a quasi-hero war veteran turned MMA brawler, whilst in ‘This Means War’ he plays a secret agent caught up in a love triangle and finally he is set to star as sadistic villain Bane in the upcoming Batman movie. It seems that a British actor is quietly becoming the film version of a utility player, so no wonder they are in hot demand.

It can safely be said that as long as British actors continue to build a solid skills base over here and have the courage to fight for their place in Hollywood, then the stories of Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Paul Bettany, Ed Westwick, Robert Pattinson and Chiwetel Ejiofor are sure to be replicated by the next wave of British talent. Cut!

By Mulenga Bwali

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By Razaak Agoro

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The Phenomenon ThatIs Number

17

It’s late in the game both the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors are level on points at 87 – 87 all with 14 seconds left in the game in the 4th quarter. #17 has the ball by his waist, he motions to his team mates to move back they acquiesce to his demands and move further inside the Raptors three point circle. He keeps com-ing forward waiting for the clock to run down thereby denying the opposition an instant reply to what he’s about to do.

The crowd in the Air Canada arena rises to its feet in unconscious synchronised unison in anticipation of what it’s about to witness. The Knicks players knew what was about to happen, the Raptors knew what was about to happen but could do absolutely nothing about it, they were about to be unwilling reluctant partici-pants in a fairytale-like sequence of events that was about to shock the entire sports world. So imperiously #17 strides toward the 3 point line the clock is still ticking all the while. 7 seconds left, 17 drives further forward -6! 5! 4! 3!

2! A Raptor defender comes forward to protect the last line of defence, 17 goes for the 3 point jump shot, the defender of-fers a feeble and flailing resistance – para-lysed, hypnotized by the wizardry and al-chemy of sporting magic #17 was about to conjure and unleash.

1! The basketball is on its way in the air on a perfect trajectory about to sink into the basket like a laser guided $1 Million dollar US military grade Tomahawk cruise mis-sile and then……..

SWOOSH! #17 makes the shot! The clock

stops at 0.5 seconds. The crowd goes wild! Lincredible! Lintastic! Lindiculous, and any plethora of awful puns that #17’s name has inspired to describe the effect that his emergence is currently having.

So who is this mystery #17? His name is Lin, Jeremy Lin and he is the unstoppable phenomenon currently sweeping through the NBA and the wider sports world. Due to Lin’s Asian American heritage - his par-ents emigrated from Taiwan to the United States in the mid-1970s - “Linsanity” has spread as far east as Taiwan and China and is threatening to further incite long standing political tension between the two states over who can claim full own-ership of Lin’s heritage and success. So how did the NBA and wider sports world descend into Linsanity? I believe that his wide ranging popularity and sudden cul-tural relevance owes much to the unique nature of his emergence.

Lin went to Harvard University an Ivy league school whose sole dedication to academic excellence means that they don’t award athletic scholarships. From the beginning the odds were already stacked against him due to the stereo-types generally applied to Asians and their “lack” of athletic prowess which led to Lin been turned down by several colle-giate athletic institutions. He was eventu-ally accepted at Harvard which put him at a further disadvantage since it meant he would be competing in an Ivy league con-ference and not against the top rated col-legiate state schools in the country. An Ivy league conference which hasn’t had a Ivy league player drafted in over 15 years. To put that in perspective that is the equiva-

lent of a football academy not producing a young player good enough to qualify for the first team for over 15 years!

Although Lin performed well through-out his collegiate career he’s struggle to become a NBA player were just about to begin. After graduating from Harvard Lin was undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft however Lin didn’t give up and attended a Summer league basket ball tournament with several NBA scouts and general man-agers watching and with Lin impressing he eventually signed with his home town team the Golden State Warriors. Lin’s struggles were not finished however as he’s stint with his hometown team didn’t last long and he was eventually cut from the squad. Soon afterward Lin was even-tually picked up by the New York Knicks and with injury to key players and the starting point guards proving ineffec-tual Lin was eventually giving his starting chance. Lin alerted the world to his abil-ity with a 25 point breakout performance against the Utah in his first start and then sent a shockwave through the NBA with a career high 38 point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers and superstar Kobe Bryant and by the time he sank the 3 point game wining jump shot against the Toronto Raptors the sports world had descended into Linsanity. There is every indication that Lin’s success will carry on into the long term and sports fans every-where will be there all the way to enjoy this Linderella story.

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Alexander Chapman Ferguson also known to many as Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the most respected and admired managers in the history of Association Football. His 25 years of success with Manchester United has elevated Sir Alex into the pantheon of the game’s greatest managers.

One of the key components of Sir Alex’s success is his ability to motivate and inspire his players to keep pushing to get the desired result even when in most circumstances it would be easier for players to be demoralised and succumb to defeat. This is what I label as the ‘S.A.F Factor’, which is the never say die attitude that has been instilled by Sir Alex into the many squad and players that have brought him success over the years.

Opposition teams and supporters know in situations where Manchester United find their backs against the wall, that “Fergie’s United” can never be counted out until the final whistle. Even in situations where they have found themselves adrift of the league leaders, Manchester United can’t be ruled out due to their spirit and willingness to fight for every point available and it has resulted in them earning championships from behind on a number of occasions. A prime example of this was the 1995/96 Premier League season where they were trailing Newcastle United at the top of the league table by 12 points at the end of January but still finished the season as champions.

Below are four examples of the SAF at work:

1. Bayern Munich 1 Manchester United 2, 1999 Champions League Final:

In a match largely dominated by the Germans and United looking frail and faltering at the final hurdle, the S.A.F Factor kicked in and with two set pieces in injury time United went on to win the match and celebrate their first Champions League trophy under Ferguson.

2. Manchester United Overtake Liverpool’s Title Record, 2010/11:

Fulfilling a promise he had made years earlier Sir Alex orchestrated Manchester United’s 19th overall title overtaking their bitter rivals Liverpool’s record of 18 in the process.

3. Premier League Title NO.9 For Sir Alex, 2006/07:

Two years of domination by Chelsea and “The Special One” led many to believe Ferguson’s days were numbered, however not for the first time Sir Alex defied the odds. He rebuilt his team and United reclaimed the title from Chelsea to launch another era of Premier League domination.

4. Tottenham 3 Manchester United 5, 2001/02 Premier League:

United were 3 nil down at half time, yet managed to score with a minute of the restart and with 15 minutes to go, were 5 - 3 ahead.

By Samuel Adediran

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Start up Stories Tuesday, 3 April 2012

Time- 6pm to 8:30pm Ticket prices: - 10 poundsStarting up your business? This networking event will give you the chance to learn from the experiences of inspiring entrepreneurs, who were once in your position. Opportunity to network and meet with mentors/coaches investors who can be of value to your start up experience. Address: 60 Goswell Road EC1M 7AD LondonUnited Kingdom

Further info visit: http://gradpreneur.eventbrite.co.uk/

20 March, 2012Time- 7pm-9pm Ticket price: Free, first come first served basis onlyAddress: Cardinal Place, 80-100 Victoria Street, SW1E 5JL, LondonAre you a student?Got a great technology idea and want to turn your entrepreneurial dreams into a reality?

Then join us for a one night only Student Entrepreneurs and BizSpark event at the Microsoft offices in Victoria, London. This networking event will give you the opportunity to meet with some awesome people in the start-up scene who will be able to offer you invaluable insight into how, as students they turned their ideas into companies. This is your chance for you to network and get answers to those burning questions.

To book your ticket visit http://bizsparkstudent-esearch.eventbrite.co.uk/?srnk=10&ebtv=C

Pen to paper- Young Free & Wild Weds 4th April @ 7:30pmTicket Price: 7 pounds (please use the pound symbol in-stead of ‘pound’) – do the same for all the other events Address: DingwallsMiddle YardCamden LockLondonNW1 8ABFor more info visit: http://www.stratford-circus.com

This is the story of a family’s journey of endurance, love and compassion through anger, frustration and pain when the youngest member of the family is diagnosed with cancer.The bravery and determination that emerges from such an event is a lasting testament to the strength and power of the human spirit which can transform some-thing as simple as a letter into a beacon of light, joy and hope that has gone on to inspire others to fill a page or two with their story… Date: 3rd - 4th AprilTime: 7.30pmTicket price: £5 Address: 208 Wandsworth Road London SW8 2JUFor more info visit: www.losttheatre.co.uk

Maverick sabre, Ms Dyna-mite & Aruba Red Sat, 10 March 2012 @ 7pm Ticket price : £15 Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1

Maverick Sabre will embark on his biggest tour to date in March 2012. Following re-cent tours that have includ-ed sold-out dates at Koko, this Spring tour will con-clude at the Roundhouse, and is sure to be another unforgettable night with special guest, Ms. Dynamite. W1For info visit: www. Round-house.org.uk

Drake in London Date :26th - 27th March 2012 “@ 6.30pmThe O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, Greenwich, London, SE10 0PE

Catch the Grammy nominated actor & Recording artist live in action. Ticket prices: £43.75 - £45.75

For more info visit:www.theo2.co.uk/

Even t sStoneCrabs Theatre Company presentsQueen PokouFriday 9th March 2012Time- 8pmTicket price- £9A new play by Dean Atta with music by Brenda RattrayA Black Madonna, a West African hero or a Sovereign willing to do anything to reign? A new play based on the life of Ashanti Princess Abla Pokou and her legendary journey to cre-ate a new nation.Written by Dean Atta (winner of the Spirit of London Award) Directed by Franko Figueiredo (winner of the International Press Award for Theatre)

Stratford Circus, Theatre SquareStratford, London E15 1BXBox office: 0844 357 2625

News Round-up 2011 Was The Year The People Spoke

2011; vaguely described by many as the year that ‘a lot happened’. You’d be hard pressed to find a more suitable phrase. From the deposing of despots to the destruction of town centres, the previous year has brought to the fore civil unrest. Societal issues which had formerly eluded mainstream viewing became headline news.

The world waved goodbye to one of modern times most important technological inventors in the shape of Steve Jobs, whilst troubled yet supremely talented artist Amy Winehouse’s young life reached a tragic ending, reminding us all that even our most precious of icons remain susceptible to life’s only inevitability.

However, it was in the political sphere where our eyes were most fixated. The ever foreseen economic turmoil manifested itself on a global scale, protests such as those of the students began to subsidise and reality began to rear its head. Cuts on the public sector came into effect on the domestic sphere, but not before our Middle Eastern counterparts demonstrated their own frustrations with socio-political relations.

The Arab Spring, with the beginnings of revolution firmly rooted in Tunisian and Egyptian soil, saw Hosni Mubarak’s 30 year reign as Egyptian leader crumble upon discontent. By the end of the year, the last man standing, the infamous Muammar Gaddafi saw his position as Libyan ruler ended. His life would soon follow.

An earthquake which claimed almost 100 lives in New Zealand in February 2011 saw Prime Minister John Key refer to it as their ‘darkest day’. A month later, the world would be stunned by a Japanese earthquake on an even larger scale.

We were all on our feet for the coming together of Prince William and Kate Middleton in scenes reminiscent of those of Diana and Prince Charles.

Just days after, the world’s most wanted man, who is alleged to have been responsible for one of history’s most heinous atrocities, was captured and killed by US troops. Obama lead his nation in celebration of the downfall of an evasive villain. The world watched on and found security in the demise of a callous mastermind, but remained cautious as to the response of his loyalists.

However, in the midst of caution in this arena, caution was redundant where gossip and scandal resided. Super-injunctiongate called into question laws and media activities regarding privacy. Yet nothing did this more so than the News of the World phone hacking scandals which saw the newspaper come to an abrupt close after 168 years in operation.

British voices were slowly and surely reproducing their distaste for those in positions of authority and power, and the killing by the police of Tottenham resident Mark Duggan prompted protests and acted as catalyst for a wave of national riots leaving England emblazoned in fire and smoke, local communities and stores trashed and looted, and poor relations between the ruler and the ruled were once again crystallised.

2011 was the year the people spoke. 2012? We await a response.

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By Hayel Wartemberg

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Football

Arsenal who are known as a team that perennially runs out of steam towards the end of the season, have sought to displace that tag by closing the gap between them and North London rival Spurs to just four points. Reeling by their 5-2 loss in the North London derby, Spurs must stay on track to ensure they finish above Wenger’s men. Meanwhile the two Manchester teams kept up their cat and mouse chase at the top of the league, whilst Liverpool claimed their first trophy in six years with an epic penalty shootout victory over a heartbroken Cardiff FC.

Finally in a development that many saw coming for months, Andre Villas-Boas has been sacked as the manger of Chelsea FC. The sacking has had mixed reception amongst fans and was definitely not enjoyed by the Nupé Sports team. Good luck for the future Andre!

Boxing

The World Boxing Council has suspended Derek Chisora and withheld his purse for the Vitali Klitschko fight after his brawl with David Haye at the post-fight news conference caused outrage around the world and brought the sport into disrepute. Chisora was arrested by German police and later released but charges are still to be levelled against him.

Cricket

The England cricket team began the long road back to redemption after finally defeating Pakistan 2 -1 in the Twenty20 Cup series. Following the embarrassing 3 – 0 whitewash at the hands of Pakistan in the test series in which the England

batsmen were continually tormented by the spin of Saeed Ajmal, Stuart Broad was the hero as they defeated Pakistan in the deciding third game by five runs.

Rugby

There wasn’t to be such good news for the England rugby team however as they were beaten by Wales at Twickenham in the 6 Nations tournament, their hopes of a grand slam extinguished in the process. To add insult to injury Wales as a result of their victory overtake England to climb to 5th in the IRB World Rankings. Wales are now favourites to win the tournament providing they successfully navigate victory against a rapidly improving French side who recently drew with Ireland in their rearranged Six Nations tie.

Formula 1

With the new F1 season right on our door steps, most of the pre-season noise has focused on the new cars offered up by the various teams, to see if anybody will be capable of beating champions from the past two seasons, the irrepressible Red Bull outfit. McLaren and Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes have looked quick in training, whilst Ferrari seem as though they won’t be able to keep up with the pace. Red Bull look as quick as ever, but the Nupe teams think it’ll be a great year for Lewis Hamilton and McLaren. After his critics and average performances last season, we’re tipping Mr Hamilton to make a strong statement.

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FootballArsenal who are known as a team that perennially runs out of steam towards the end of the season, have sought to displace that tag by closing the gap between them and North London rival Spurs to just four points. Reeling by their 5-2 loss in the North London derby, Spurs must stay on track to ensure they finish above Wenger’s men. Meanwhile the two Manchester teams kept up their cat and mouse chase at the top of the league, whilst Liverpool claimed their first trophy in six years with an epic penalty shootout victory over a heartbroken Cardiff FC.

Finally in a development that many saw coming for months, Andre Villas-Boas has been sacked as the manger of Chelsea FC. The sacking has had mixed reception amongst fans and was definitely not enjoyed by the Nupé Sports team. Good luck for the future Andre!

BoxingThe World Boxing Council has suspended Derek Chisora and withheld his purse for the Vitali Klitschko fight after his brawl with David Haye at the post-fight news conference caused outrage around the world and brought the sport into disrepute. Chisora was arrested by German police and later released but charges are still to be levelled against him.

CricketThe England cricket team began the long road back to redemption after finally defeating Pakistan 2 -1 in the Twenty20 Cup series. Following the embarrassing 3 – 0 whitewash at the hands of Pakistan in the test series in which the England batsmen were continually tormented by the spin of Saeed Ajmal, Stuart Broad was the hero as they defeated Pakistan in the deciding third game by five runs.

RugbyThere wasn’t to be such good news for the England rugby team however as they were beaten by Wales at Twickenham in the 6 Nations tournament, their hopes of a grand slam extinguished in the process. To add insult to injury Wales as a result of their victory overtake England to climb to 5th in the IRB World Rankings. Wales are now favourites to win the tournament providing they successfully navigate victory against a rapidly improving French side who recently drew with Ireland in their rearranged Six Nations tie.

Formula 1With the new F1 season right on our door steps, most of the pre-season noise has focused on the new cars offered up by the various teams, to see if anybody will be capable of beating champions from the past two seasons, the irrepressible Red Bull outfit. McLaren and Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes have looked quick in training, whilst Ferrari seem as though they won’t be able to keep up with the pace. Red Bull look as quick as ever, but the Nupe teams think it’ll be a great year for Lewis Hamilton and McLaren. After his critics and average performances last season, we’re tipping Mr Hamilton to make a strong statement.

By Chris Owusu

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