Clare Galloway

My iPad has enabled me to learn so many things on the internet that I have treated it to only the best iPad accessories.

Today I found out that ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ by Shakespeare is not as misogynistic as people have believed it to. This has been very well explained by director Conall Morrison.

“I don't believe for a second that the man who would be interested in Benedict and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet and all these strong lovers would have some misogynist aberration. It's very obviously a satire on this male behaviour and a cautionary tale [...] That's not how he views women and relationships, as demonstrated by the rest of the plays. This is him investigating misogyny, exploring it and animating it and obviously damning it because none of the men come out smelling of roses. When the chips are down they all default to power positions and self-protection and status and the one woman who was a challenge to them, with all with her wit and intellect, they are all gleeful and relieved to see crushed.”

Gin is an alcoholic spirit flavoured with juniper berries. In Europe, the minimum alcoholic strength for bottled fin is 37.5% whilst in the United States it is 40%. There exists two different categories of gin; distilled gin and compound gin. London dry gin belongs to the first category and is the most common style of gin.

London dry gin is distinguished by its use of citrus botanicals and spices in addition to the predominant juniper content during distillation. The citrus botanicals used are usually lemon or bitter orange peel. The spices can range from anise to dragon eye, saffron to coriander, licorice root to frankincense, and from nutmeg to dragon eye. The only permitted additive in London dry gin is water, sugar or any colorants are not permitted. One is certainly not allowed to add their herrenuhren watch in!

The name ‘gin’ pertains either to the Dutch ‘jenever’ or the French ‘genièvre’, both meaning ‘juniper.’ The Enyclopedia Britannica of 1911 asserts that the word ‘gin’ is abbreviated from ‘Geneva’ which the dictionary claims is derived from the French ‘genièvre’.

Gibraltar, located on the southern end of Spain, is a British overseas territory. A peninsula sharing its northern border with Andalusia, it has an area of 6.843 square kilometres. The major landmark of the region is the Rock of Gibraltar and at its foot is the densely populated urban area which is home to just under 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, an Anglo-Dutch force seized Gibraltar in 1704. Under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the territory was ceded to Britain by Spain “in perpetuity.” An important base for the British Royal Navy; today tourism, financial services, and shipping comprise its economy. Gibraltar remains a principal point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations as Spain claims a right to the territory. In a 1967 referendum and a subsequent 2002 one, Gibraltarians rejected transference to Spanish sovereignty. Gibraltar governs its own affairs, including its flower delivery services, though some powers (such as foreign relations and defense) are the UK Government’s responsibility.

Oktoberfest, held annually in Munich, is a 16 to 18 day beer festival spanning from late September to the first weekend in October. With more than 5 million people attending each year, it is the world’s largest fair. Only beer which is brewed within Munich is permitted to be served during the festival which amounts to a staggering 7 million litres.

Oktoberfest enjoys a rich history. The festival began on 12th October 1810 as part of Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage celebrations to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The subsequent year, an agricultural show was added and in 1816, carnival booths appeared selling porcelain and jewelry (too early for carte r4s). In 1819, the citizens of Munich assumed responsibility for the festival’s management and it was lengthened and pushed forward for warmer weather conditions.

At the culmination of the 19th century, a re-organization occurred whereby booths began selling beer. In 1887, the Entry of the Oktoberfest Staff and Breweries took place for the first time, an event in which the magnificently decorated horse teams of the breweries and bands are showcased. 1892 saw the first beer served in a glass mug.

It's tomorrow! I'm going early tomorrow, my friends have been there since yesterday and have saved me a camping spot so I'm getting up really early and going, the less camping the better when it's horrible and rainy like it has been!

I can't wait to see Muse, New Found Glory, Deftones, 30 Seconds To Mars, My Chemical Romance!

What I'm not looking forward to is the people, Reading seems to attract loads of attention-seeking jerks and it drives me mad! Stupid t-shirts, dressed up as women, dressed up as a donkey, wearing a primark onesie - whatever. Dress normally fools!

The worst part is, these guys look like they'd be all TOWIE usually with baggy jeans and diesel t shirts, why are they at a rock festival? Just to go to the rave tents in the evening! What a waste of a festival ticket!

Photo: IanHaskins (Flickr)