menu

100 reasons to love Ryan Gosling: Joanna Benecke: Book review

gosling 1100 reasons to love Ryan Gosling by Joanna Benecke

This book from Joanna Benecke is aimed a  certain simple kind of person, one with a heart full of aching desire for this actor Mr Ryan Gosling, who (I’m reliably told by my vacuous queeny friend) is HOT, HOT, HOT, hmmmmm.  I went through all the reasons to LOVE Mr Gosling and I must say not one of them persuaded me this was a man worth hunting and down and convincing to be my boyfriend, but then I am far, far, far from the target audience for this book, which is Dearest Desperate Reader, YOU.

osling-shirtless-

Yes, you celebrity obsessed lovers of fan trivia and cool pictures of film stars with dogs and fake tattoo’s (which make the Gosser look like H from Steps) , are the very reason this book was put together, I was going to say written but I don’t want to put you off buying an actual physical book.

It’s full of stuff you would already know, agree with and sigh over, and lots and lots of lovely pictures of The Gos’. With reasons such as ‘he’s not a Mormon’ or the most prosaic ‘he can do the Dirty dancing body lift’ or endearing ‘he has tiny cute little ears ‘ or the simply downright strange such as ‘plays the ukulele without being annoying’.   When I was reading it on the bus, the hipster gay guy opposite me sighed when he saw the cover…. So step away from the newest update from Syria and Peter Andres, or is Jordan and Andrew Petres and step up to some class, a nice book with lots of lovely pictures of Ryan Gosling.

 

I didn’t know who he was, Gosling, not the Hipster who I do know but won’t publicly embarrass by naming names, so (imagine!) no knowledge of the delights of Ryan’s career or musculature which is always a good introduction into an obsessive fan book such as this, with it’s meticulous researched text; not a single word of which comes from Wikipedia and rather good quality photo’s of which there is an endless supply ( did I mention how many lovely pictures there are , full colour, of Mr Ryan Gosling in this book).  This is a humorous attempt to show us how perfect Mr Gosling is, and he does look rather sweet in quite a few of the pictures, of which there are plenty of high quality colour ones on every page. I read – usually books without so many pictures-  thus hadn’t heard of him so had a steep learning curve but am now a fully qualified Gosling expert, feel free to test me if you see me out and about.

sev-ryan-goslinWatch him here on youtube at a Mormon talent show in late 1991, with his sister Mandi.

This is a book for the Gosling die hard fan, or slightly odd obsessive. It’s also a stalkers handbook or the kind of thing you can give to your celebrity obsessed friend who spends lot of money of his/her hair and feel like you’ve added value to their life. The author Joanna Benecke has given us a quality fan book filled with pictures of Mr Gosling and some tit bits about his life, it’s a light hearted love letter to this admittedly cute young man and am sure it would give a few moments warmth to lots of lonely folk out there who go to bed crying into their Ryan shaped pillows.

ryangos1Just remember folks that an actor is an insecure person who pretends to be someone else and lies for a living while desperately seeking affirmation to boost their self confidence, even a cute one like Ryan and objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.

Out now £12.99

Yes, £12.99

For more information or to buy the book see online book shops here:

And now I am going to watch the Notebook over and over again until I get it, or cry, or both.

New chair elected for St James’ Community Action group

Green councillor misleads residents at public meeting.

SJCAG

At a stormy EGM in St Mary’s Church, St James Street last night, local business man, Jeremy Odgen was elected chair of the St James’ Community Action Group (SJCAG).

The EGM had been originally called by a group of petitioners to elect people to empty posts on the SJCAG executive committee.

Chris Cooke
Chris Cooke

Chris Cooke was elected chair of SJCAG in April 2013 but stepped aside “to recharge his batteries” after claiming he was being bullied in post and it was affecting his health. When he announced he was returning to the group the remaining members of the SJCAG steering group refused to acknowledge him as their chair.

At the start of the EGM local resident Nick Head a member of the SJCAG steering group proposed a vote of no confidence in Mr Cooke which was carried. Mr Head proposed a similar vote of no confidence in SJCAG secretary Frank Haig, but Mr Haig was re-elected to his post as secretary after agreeing to attend all steering group meetings as well as the SJCAG public meetings.

An election for all executive posts followed with Jeremy Ogden being elected chair. David Spafford vice chair, Fiona Shackley treasurer and Alan Donaldson communications officer.

Cllr Stephanie Powell
Cllr Stephanie Powell

Cllr Stephanie Powell, a Green councillor for Queens Park Ward and one of the two Green party champions on LGBT issues questioned Mr Cooke’s suitability to be chair because she claimed he was a candidate for Labour in the 2015 Council Elections. She argued if the SJCAG was to remain non party political he should not be able to stand as chair.

Mr Cooke who stood as a candidate for Labour in Queens Park in the 2011 local council elections denied having been chosen as a Labour candidate for 2015. Warren Morgan leader of the labour group has confirmed to Gscene that candidates had not been selected for the 2015 elections in Queens Park. Selections he said will resume next month after further candidates have been added to the candidate pool. At present no date has been set for the selection process.

Queens Park is considered a marginal seat at the 2015 elections:

Votes cast in 2011 were:

Geoffrey Bowden Green Party 2227 15% Elected

Stephanie Powell Green Party 2221 15% Elected

Ben Duncan Green Party 2147 14% Elected

Daniel Anthony Chapman The Labour and Co-operative Party 1970 13% Not elected

Christopher Martyn Cooke The Labour and Co-operative Party 1867 12% Not elected

Tom French The Labour and Co-operative Party 1822 12% Not elected

For more information about the SJCAG, CLICK HERE:

For full details about Queens Park Council elections in 2011, CLICK HERE:

 

 

Politicians urge rethink on 81 bus route

Brighton & Hove Bus 81300 concerned residents attend public meeting last Monday, February 10 to discuss future of 81, 81a and 81b bus routes.

 

Concerns were raised at the meeting about a lack of extensive consultation by the bus company prior to any decisions being made about the future of the service.

Speakers at the meeting included:

• Mike Best (Operations Director, Brighton & Hove Buses)

• Andrew Boag (Chair, Brighton & Hove Buswatch)

• Richard Johnson (Bus team, Brighton & Hove City Council)

• Chair Mark Strong (Vice-chair, Queens Park LAT)

 

Nancy Platts
Nancy Platts

Nancy Platts the Labour parliamentary candidate for Kemptown and Peacehaven attended the meeting. She said: “It is clear is that Brighton and Hove Buses should have consulted more widely and for longer on the proposed changes. Especially for working parents who have to deal with the school run and then rush to get to work on time in the morning.

“At the meeting I also raised concerns with the bus company that changes to bus routes would result in some people having to take two buses instead of one, doubling the cost of their fares.”

“I am meeting with the bus company to ensure a fair deal is reached for residents. If you would like me to raise any issues with them then please do get in touch on nancy@nancyplatts.org.uk

Simon Kirby MP
Simon Kirby MP

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven is calling on the Brighton and Hove Bus Company to rethink its proposals. He said: “People’s transportation is very important to them for work, getting to school and visiting family and friends.

“Significant changes in services can be very unsettling and the bus company needs to move carefully regarding the 81 service.

“I have said to the bus company that a rethink of the proposals may be in order following the concerns expressed by passengers and I hope this matter will be looked at again very closely.”

 

DEAR SERGE – Call Out for artists

The De La Warr Pavillion is calling for submissions from artists to create a new piece of work or project for its DEAR SERGE Bi-monthly events in the 2014/2015 season.

Dear Serge

DEAR SERGE is a free daytime event held at the De La Warr Pavillion in Bexhill showcasing the best in cutting-edge live music, performance and art named after one of the architects of the venue.

Submissions are be called for with particular interest in proposals that engage with the essential properties of the building.

Each proposal is offered up to a budget of £500 to develop any selected projects.

For more information on Dear Serge, CLICK HERE:

For more information about the De La War Pavillion, CLICK HERE: 

De La Warr Pavilion
De La Warr Pavilion

‘Sleeping Out’ in support of homeless LGBT youth

Nottingham University students to raise money for Albert Kennedy Trust.

Nottingham University LGBT Network

The University of Nottingham’s LGBT Network is holding a charity sleepout at University Park on Thursday, February 20 in support of young LGBT people who are homeless or living in a hostile environment.

LGBT history month is a celebration of how far the LGBT community has come in terms of achieving equality and tackling prejudice. But with young people still forced to live on the streets because of their sexuality, The University of Nottingham’s LGBT Network is holding a charity sleepout at University Park on Thursday February 20.

The Society is raising funds for the Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity which supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people aged 16-25 who are made homeless or living in a hostile environment.

The charity sleepout at Portland Building is just part of the LGBT history month celebrations organised by both the University and Students’ Union.

Lucy Wake, from the Students’ Union’s LGBT Network, believes it’s important to use the month-long celebration to raise money for an invaluable charity within the LGBT community.

She said: “The work of the Albert Kennedy Trust is incredibly important. We want people to spend one night outside to appreciate how hard living on the street is and to raise awareness of the plight of what some young LGBT people still go through. We raised over £400 by doing this last year and want to double that amount this year.”

To make a donations to the network’s sleepout, CLICK HERE: 

Hove MP condems wild dolphin bloodbath

Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade signs EDM condeming the slaughter of wild dolphins in Japan.

Mike Weatherley MP
Mike Weatherley MP

Mike signed EDM 1004 (Dolphin Hunting in Japan), which draws attention to this serious and ongoing problem of dolphin hunting. The Japanese government continues to ignore the established International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on commercial whaling. This moratorium was put into place both in order to curb the hunting of dolphins, porpoises and whales and is key to maintaining a healthy wild population of these animals.

Mike said: “I am very concerned by this shocking news that dolphins are being slaughtered in large numbers by Japanese sailors, with the support of the Japanese government. This practice, in particular the horrific way in which many of the dolphins are killed, is intolerable and must stop. I have long been a supporter of animal rights and I continue to campaign in Parliament for sensible and humane policies on fox hunting and badger culling.”

EDM 1004 – Dolphin Hunting In Japan reads:

“That this House condemns the recent slaughter of over 40 wild dolphins in Taiji, on Japan’s Pacific coast; notes with concern the capture of a further 52 dolphins for sale to aquariums and other customers including a rare albino dolphin calf, separated from its mother and now kept in captivity in Taiji Whale Museum; further notes with alarm the Japanese government’s continued support for the practice by issuing quotas for the killing of over 20,000 dolphins, whales and porpoises in its coastal waters every year, despite the International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on commercial whaling; deplores the inhumane slaughtering method of severing the dolphin’s spinal cord with a metal spike; is further concerned that the practice of dolphin hunting may be driving some populations to extinction; is alarmed by the high levels of mercury and other toxins found in dolphin, whale and porpoise food products, with reports suggesting dolphin meat is up to 5,000 times more toxic than levels allowed by the World Health Organisation; welcomes the statements made by the US Ambassador to Japan and the British Ambassador to Japan, Timothy Hitchens, opposing all forms of dolphin and porpoise drives; calls on the Taiji Whale Museum to release the albino dolphin calf from captivity; and calls on the Government to continue to raise the issue with the Japanese government at the highest level.”

Dolfin CUll in Japan

Plans announced for National Framework for HIV, Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Commissioning

Public Health England (PHE) announces plans to develop sexual health service commissioning in England.

Public Health England

PHE aims to address inequalities and protect and improve the nation’s health through working with national and local government, the NHS, industry and the voluntary and community sector.

The new initiative underpins PHE’s commitment to improving sexual and reproductive health, reducing sexually transmitted infections and securing best outcomes for people with HIV.

The plans for the  national framework were announced by Professor Jane Anderson, HIV, Sexual & Reproductive Health Lead at PHE.

Prof Jane Anderson
Prof Jane Anderson

She said: “In this new landscape, meticulous partnership working will be required to develop and maintain high quality services, delivered via seamless, integrated care pathways.

“The aim is to bring together all those involved in commissioning HIV, sexual and reproductive health services to deliver an adaptable whole system approach that meets the needs of local populations.”

Among other endeavors, the final framework, will demonstrate new ways of working to support continued modernisation and integration, produce relevant and practical tools and outline models of existing and emerging practice to deliver the best outcomes.

The work is being supported by NHS England, Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Public Health and Department of Health.

MEDFASH has been appointed by PHE as the project’s delivery agent. It is scheduled to be available in early summer 2014.

X