Willi's Guide to Glitz and Glamour 1.3

It's time for the final edition of Glitz and Glamour in this inaugral month of publication so I'm going to put on the extra sparkle and take a look at America's favourite movie and TV stars. I'll also be taking a look at some of the films emerging from the Sundance Film Festival and there will be reaction to Apple's latest super-gadget, the iPad.

The annual polls conducted by Harris Interactive have revealed that Clint Eastwood is America's favourite film star replacing Denzel Washington at the top of the list. He falls down to third with Johnny Depp in second. The only deceased star to feature is John Wayne who retains a huge groundswell of popularity and he makes it into seventh. The rest of the top 10 has no real surprises. Morgan Freeman, Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, the highest placed woman in fourth, are all featured.

Fox News' conservative commentator Glenn Beck has made it to second spot in the TV star poll, beaten to the top by Oprah Winfrey. No doubt his repeated criticism of President Barack Obama and the growing agitation with his administration across the country has cemented Beck's popularity. Other talk-show personalities Jay Leno and David Letterman make the top 10 as does British actor Hugh Laurie, who in the last decade has captured American hearts with his role in the popular drama, House. The poll was carried out between December 7-14 so obviously didn't have time to take into account several factors. Perhaps most notably, the furore surrounding Charlie Sheen and the incident with his wife just before Christmas. Sheen still makes it into the top 10, owing largely to his role in America's highest rating comedy sitcom, Two and a Half Men.

There is a feeling amongst some Hollywood reporters that this years crop of films, shown at the Sundance Film Festival, didn't quite live up to the rebellious ideals of its inception or produce any piece of work that broke free from convention. Stars and film buffs made the journey to a cold Park City, Utah for Sundance TwentyTen, a festival festooned with slogans espousing, amongst other tenets, 'The Rebirth of the Battle for New Ideas'.

Familiar themes have been explored including the well-worn coming-of-age movie, such as the Texan "Skateland" and the Kiwi "Boy" which at least featured a Maori cast of non-professional actors to afford it some indie kudos. One of the stand-out films from the festival is directed by world-renowned grafitti artist Bansky. "Exit from the Gift Shop" is the Spotlight Surprise selection for the 2010 festival and focuses on a French shopkeepers attempts at filming the guarded Banksy and how he fails when the artist turns the camera back onto the amateur filmaker. What results has been described by John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival as 'warped hybrid of reality and self -induced fiction while at the same time a totally entertaining experience.

Other films to earn praise have been "GasLand", directed by Josh Fox, a story centering on a journey across America to meet rural residents who have been made lucrative offers from energy companies to lease their land in an attempt at tapping into the gas supply. And Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg's "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" has also been lauded. Following the female comic over the course of a year, the ruthless world of showbusiness is laid bare and Rivers' thoughts and inspiration are unmasked.

Gadget lovers everywhere had labelled the newly launched iPad the 'Jesus Tablet' and Apple supremo Steve Jobs is hoping his latest creation can fill the gap between netbooks and smart phones. The device can let users browse the net, send e-mails, share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games and read e-books. It will also be compatible with the 'apps' already available to iPhone and iPod users. It also has a lightweight design and a 9.7 inch screen besides Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. And it'll have a 10-hour battery life which extends to up to a month when left on standby.

Like many other reports on the launch, this is starting to sound like an iPad commericial. However, Jobs does seem to have the midas touch with his technological innovations and the iPad appears to be no gimmick. The iPod revolutionised the manner in which we listen to music and iPhones are stretching the boundaries of what a communications device should be. The iPad is a futher extenstion of these products. Not quite a smartphone, not quite a television, not quite a music player or computer, it seems to include all of these features. Viewing the screen outdoors could be a problem and there remain questions over its portability though so far it has received a good reception.

It is the product's e-reader that has attracted a lot of attention. Jobs himself demonstrated how a user can read a newspaper and told the audience that Apple will launch a new iBooks application, capable of downloading books from the major publishers such as Penguin and Harper Collins. The death knell for print media has been predicted for many years now so it will be interesting to note how far the iPad will go in hammering in the final nail in the coffin.

That's it for January. Join me in February for more Glitz and Glamour. In the meantime, watch out for the January podcast which will be available on this site and www.williwycombe.podbean.com. I'll be discussing the month's stories in more detail with special guests and more opinion.

Willi's Wycombe 1.2

It has been a frenetic few weeks for Wycombe Wanderers. Since the last blog, Wanderers' league position is little improved however there is hope amongst the faithful that the spate of new signgings will act as a catalyst for a revival. At the very least, manager Gary Waddock is attempting to build a squad capable of promotion straight back to League One, if required.

The task of avoiding relegation looks daunting. Wycombe are seven points from safety and have played up to three games more than some of their nearest rivals. Their last victory came at home against bottom club Stockport County, at a time when hope of a great escape was tangible. Following the last update, Wycombe have recorded a morale boosting draw away at Leeds United with Jon Paul-Pittman again on the scoresheet with a classy finish. Indeed, Leeds were allegedly suitably impressed with the American striker, instigating rumours of a possible transfer though no approach has so far been made. Pittman scored again in the 2-1 reverse at home to much fancied Charlton Athletic and Wycombe picked up another point on the road last Saturday with on-loan West Ham midfielder Josh Payne equalising on his debut when the Blues played Southend United.

The January transfer window has seen a glut of activity at Adams Park. Perhaps the most high-profile piece of business was the departure of Tommy Doherty. Doherty left the club having failed to reconcile with Gary Waddock who released Doherty to Wycombe when he was in charge at Queens Park Rangers. The combative midfielder had a successful spell at the club and was twice named in the League Two Team of the Year. Certainly, his presence as a player was influential both physically and psychologically, albeit not always in keeping within the right spirit. Doherty had flitted in and out of the team over the course of this season as his powers appeared to wane, despite the occasional characteristic flourish of class. Waddock obviously weighed up Doherty's contribution with the undesriable elements of his temperement and made his decision based on what he considered would be the more advantageous for the club.

Kevin Betsy has returned on a permanent basis from Southend, citing his previous stint at the Blues as his most successful and enjoyable. Striker Alex Revell has also joined from Southend, initially on an emergency loan owing to complications with the player's registration. Goalkeeper Jamie Young has left the club by mutual consent, four years and forty-eight games later. The position vacated by Young has quickly been filled by young goalie Steve Arnold, signed from Eastleigh. Recent developments have also seen Wycombe bring in Bristol City goalkeeper Stephen Henderson, a former Ireland U-21 international. And finally, on-loan Josh Payne, whose impressive strike rescued a point last weekend, will stay at the club until the end of February. Arguably the most eye-catching signing has been that of former Peterborough United midfielder Dean Keates, who like Arnold, has a deal until the end of season. More signings are expected with a bid already turned down for Aldershot player Scott Donelly, who is said to be desperate to team up again with former boss Waddock.

Meanwhile, proposals for the building of a new 'Community Stadium' to house Wycombe and rugby union side London Wasps have been further discussed publicly by Wycombe District Council. The figure of £700,000 has been earmarked for the development. Despite protestations from numerous residents and fan groups, the Council have stated that they are committed to the move with the 2014-15 season targetted for opening although the aforementioned hurdles could delay the process. With Wanderers' increasing debt mountain and the commercial benefit to London Wasps, the supporters within the Council, along with Managing Director Steve Hayes will no doubt continue to drive the project. The overall benefits to Wanderers and the town in general remain unclear.

Willi's News Review 1.2

In beginning the review of the week, the devastating earthquake that has has rocked Haiti dominates all current affair agendas. Personally, I will be concise in my summation though this brevity is not with the intention to deflect attention from the crisis. Rather, it would merely not be possible in an article of this size to adequately cover the story in enough detail or to do any such reporting justice.

There has been a large aftershock following the initial earthquake on January 12 which measured 7.1 on the richter scale. Tens of thousands are already confirmed dead with the final figure once the debris has been cleared expected to run into hundreds of thousands. Please click here for details about how to donate to the disaster appeal.

It's been good news for sterling over the past week as it reaches relative highs against the Euro. The single currency is currently plagued with concerns over the dire state of Greece's finances and despite Britain's equally increasing debt, this has weakened the Euro against the pound. One other contributing factor has been a higher than predicted fall in the number of those claiming unemployment benefit. The Office for National Statistics announced jobless benefit claims fell by 15,200 in December, the biggest decrease in nearly 3 years. Nevertheless, the Eurozone remains an expensive holiday proposition with Egypt and Turkey continuing to be seen as offering better value for tourists.

The bitter and divisive repercussions of the Falklands War in 1982, fought between Great Britain and Argentina, look set to continue. This is following the passing of a new Argentine law that asserts authority over the Falklands, known locally as Las Malvinas. According to the law, the Falklands, the Southern Atlantic Islands and part of Antarctica falls under the regional auspices of the province of Tierra del Fuego.

Naturally, Britain has dismissed the claims with Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant sounding out against the hostile claim. No doubt, simmering tensions between Britain and Argentina will be closely monitored by Falklanders whom the majority remain proud to be British and loyal to the crown. Attention will also focus on the untapped oil and gas supplies, rumoured to be in the vicinity of the islands. Of course, the cynic might suggest, no wonder Britain is keen to keep hold of them. Though no amount of Argentine posturing or natural resource quibbling should get in the way of the what matters most-the islanders themselves.

Coming Soon-Monthly Podcast!

As some of you may have noticed, there is podcast player embedded on the left-hand side of the page. You can also access this podcast and its playlist at www.williwycombe.podbean.com.

Coming soon, there will be regular monthly podcasts from the Collected Thoughts, covering the best of the blog. I'll be discussing in more detail some of the stories that have hit the blog over the previous month including news, entertainment, arts and culture and of course, a comprehensive review of everything Wycombe Wanderers F.C. The idea of a montly podcast is still very much in its infancy however please bear with me as I get to the grips with the technology and discover what is feasible.

In the meantime, happy listening and reading and if you'd like to pass comment on the topics covered in this blog, whether vocally or in print, please get in touch and email me at willgeldart@hotmail.co.uk.

Willi's Guide to Glitz and Glamour 1.2

Well folks, it's that time again. Here comes another dose of commentary on the world of entertainment and what's caught my eye.

I certainly wouldn't call myself an avid TV viewer and I am seldom rewarded with power of the remote though there are a few shows that continue to impress me. First up, The Big Bang Theory, the American sitcom about a group of super intelligent geeky types, showing on E4. Aside from my own seal of approval, whenever browsing various TV commentaries, this show is often given rave reviews. As with all great sitcoms, the characters are superbly crafted and their personalities, whilst adhering to the geek stereotypes, retain a quirky sense of individuality. After all, it is the exaggerated nuances of character that add comedic effect. There is the evil genius Sheldon, the neurotic Jew Howard, the superficially traditional Indian Raj and then there is the hero of the piece, Leonard. He's just an exceptionally intelligent young man who doesn't wish to dwell too much on this aspect of his personality. He'd rather spend time with the incredibly gorgeous girl across the hall, Penny, doing 'normal stuff'. Indeed, at this point of watching, Penny is still his girlfriend, Lucky Leonard.

I suppose another one of the Big Bang's most endearing qualities is that its humour does not necessarily deviate towards the sex and drug obsessed 'yoof' portrayed by BBC3 and Channel 4. (Coming of Age anyone? It's an insult that this programme follows the excellent Being Human). Neither is it the atypical tale of a group of metropolitan friends in their late 20s/early 30s who are still trying to find their way yet remarkably afford to live in expensive looking apartments. Along the way, many a relationship fails, jobs are lost and other setbacks occur but ultimately the whole affair is regailed to the audience in all its saccharine detail. Friends undoubtedly set the benchmark for this type of sitcom however it was original. And at times, touching.

All of this brings me along to another American import, How I Met Your Mother. I don't like it. Part of me doesn't want to like it. Part of me wants to persevere. Even the intro song and the montage of the characters pulling endless narcissistic poses sums up everything that is wrong about the show and about people. We're self-obsessed and we demand that people love us. Whether we're starring in a stream of forgetful pouty pictures, taken when we were just walking to the corner shop or sitting around on an alcohol soaked Sunday watching the snooker, we want people to look at us, hear us, watch us and read what we have to say. (ahem, I'm one of these folks too to some degree). Maybe I'm delving too deep here and perhaps I'm harshly judging the programme. But as mentioned before with Friends, when I watch How I Met Your Mother, I feel like I've been down this road before. Except with How I Met Your Mother, I don't like the road so much. It's old, tired and maybe even a little cliched (as roads go). I'm sure the scriptwriters and producers don't see the show as an updated version of Friends but to me, it's trying too hard to be funny and cool and a whole load of other things that its predecessors did so well. Maybe I just don't appreciate its 'goofy' humour. My favourite character is probably the sex-crazed, loveable pervert, Barney. A cross between Joey and Quagmire but then again, I get the impression that he's trying too hard to make me laugh. And quite frankly, that's not funny.

Willi's News Review 1.1

Firstly, please accept my apologies that it's taken a few days longer than anticipated to get the first 'news review' of the year published. And welcome along to Willi's News Review, a condensed commentary on what's been hitting the headlines in the past week or so. It's certainly not going to be exhaustive however I shall do my best to cast my net as far and as wide as possible. The aim is to also highlight a few stories that may have been buried deep in the reams of print and online copy available.

So, now for this weeks news; snow, snow and more snow. The artic freeze that has ensnarled Britain for the past few weeks has been the major talking point. Abandoned cars, icy roads and a never-ending littany of snow tales is becoming increasingly tiresome. Facebook statuses across the land, once charmed by a rare white blanket, are now cursing the prolonged cold snap. 'Fuck off snow' appears to be the message from long-suffering Britons. Spare a thought for the local councils who are under pressure with dwindling salt and grit supplies. We're asking questions about why greater provisions haven't been made despite warnings from the Met Office however how much budgetary consideration can events that happen once every thirty years be afforded? Is there any sympathy out there? No? The cold weather is expected to last into next week though conditions are starting to ease slightly. Ok, let's move on...

Of course, there is a serious side to the effects the bad weather has had with twenty-seven people dead as a result and many more injured or facing severe disruption. Likewise, there are a number of other tragic stories that have made the headlines. The attack on the Togo national football team's bus in the seperatist state of Cabinda in Angola that left three members of their party dead has shocked the world and raised security fears for the rest of the African Cup of Nations competition. Now, under instruction from Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo, the team have left the country and will take no further part in proceedings. Angolan officials were surprised that the Togo national team had decided to enter Cabinda, an area seperated from the rest of the country by the DR Congo. It is also a place of intense rebel activity from the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (Flec), the group that has claimed responsibility for the attack.

So what now for African football? Togo's group opponents were supposed to be Ghana, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso and they too had threatened to leave but have decided to stay on. Questions have been raised about security in the country, especially Cabinda, a particularly war-torn province where despite a nationwide ceasefire in 2006, insurgents remain. And security in the continent as a whole will be even more scrutinised ahead of the World Cup in South Africa later in the year. The fact remains however, that this horrific incident could potentially have been avoided had Togo listened to CAF, the continent's football governing body, and travelled by air instead of by road. In the words of team-mate Thomas Dossevi, Togo had wanted to "to show our national colours, our values and that we are men".

As campaigning begins in earnest in preparation for a general election to be held in May or June at the latest, Gordon Brown survived an attempted coup last Wednesday. Former cabinet members Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt failed to weaken the Prime Minister sufficiently or garner enough support to challenge his leadership of the Labour Party. Indeed, according to the latest ICM poll, support for Labour has marginally risen. The net result has been a strengthening of support for Brown. He may be considered a 'lame duck' Prime Minister however with the support of arch schemer Peter Mandelson, he remains a defiant and stoical figure, comparing his struggles to that of Nelson Mandela. Mandelson may be trying to loosely disguise the schisms that exist within the Party and perhaps inside the Cabinet itself however it is important to him and Labour to maintain a united front. Despite Brown's unpopularity with the electorate, a change of leader is unlikely to aid their chances at the ballot box.

Willi's Wycombe 1.1

Three games, three defeats and a thoroughly miserable festive period for Wycombe Wanderers has left them cast adrift at the bottom of League One. A 4-0 drubbing at the feet of Yeovil Town began a series of catastrophic results. This was closely followed by a morale sapping 5-2 reverse at home to relegation rivals Brighton & Hove Albion having at one stage led the game. This was further compounded by a battling 1-0 defeat to promotion chasing Norwich City which leaves them six points from safety.

Aside from difficulties on the pitch there are other concerns. At the beginning of the season there was boardroom talk of 'not merely making up the numbers in the division' however this notion seems laughable now given the current state of affairs. Coupled with this, owner Steve Hayes' vision of Wycombe Wanderers and the successful rugby club he also owns, London Wasps, playing their respective sports at a 20,000 community stadium is another implausible dream. Wycombe's poor form has magnified the examination of the overall health of the club with promotion briefly glossing over the increasing debt mountain and subsequent repercussions. A significant section of the fanbase are now focusing on the long-term problems that could affect the club as well as the more immediate travails.

Similar to the defeat at St. Mary's to Southampton, Wycombe's most recent loss, to Norwich City, highlighted the gulf in class between fallen Premier League giants and a Wanderers side who were fortunate to have eventually crawled to promotion last season. What has been more galling is the joint capitulations against Yeovil and Brighton. These are both two sides who had Wycombe fared better against, they could be in contention with, facing a much better chance of avoiding relegation. The reality was two heavy defeats with the defence once again lacking composure and the options available up front failing to produce. Glenn Murray's four goal salvo for Brighton against the Blues combined with his strike partner Nicky Forster's contribution highlights the abundance of attacking riches at the disposal of Wanderers' rivals.

Gary Waddock has already moved swiftly in the transfer window to bring in defender Adam Hinshelwood from former club Aldershot Town. The defender's competent display against Norwich City bodes well for the future however it could be the influence he exerts rather than his ability that sweetened the deal for his old boss. Certainly listening to Shots fans, Hinshelwood, a former club captain, is regarded as a good professional though his injury problems indicate he may find it difficult to cement his place in the team over a prolonged period. Indeed, following the Norwich defeat, Hinshelwood had already issued a rallying cry, stating that every remaining game will be 'like a cup final'. Wycombe's next opponents are Leeds United, who will probably feel as if they've already won a cup final having defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round this past weekend. A trip to Elland Road is probably the toughest in the division. And it won't get any easier the following week when the Blues face Charlton Athletic. Hope is at a premium amongst the fans at Adams Park. The next few games could all but extinguish its dying embers.

WilliWycombe is an exile from the fair town of High Wycombe, having once been a season ticket holder at Adams Park. He doesn't get to many games these days and his views are those of the exile, on the outside looking in and should be treated thusly.