Barcelona To Tackle Dog Walkers: Get a License Or Receive a Fine

The Catalan capital is set to unleash a new law that will force dog owners to get a license or face fines up to €600. From October, dog owners will be required to obtain a “civic license” before letting their pets walk around without a leash within one of Barcelona’s 103 designated dog parks. An “animal abuse” register will also come into effect with a prohibition of leaving animals tied up for more than two hours or leaving animals locked in a car for more than 20 minutes.

Is it balls, vagina, or both? Airbnb logo sparks wave of internet parodies

Is it balls, vagina, or both? Airbnb logo sparks wave of internet parodies The apartment-rental website launches its grown-up logo to a wave of ridicule – as well as claims of plagiarism

Merry Christmas

Emotional eating is when people use food as a way to deal with feelings instead of to satisfy hunger. We've all been there, finishing a whole bag of chips out of boredom or downing cookie after cookie while cramming for a big test. But when done a lot — especially without realizing it — emotional eating can affect weight, health, and overall well-being.

Not many of us make the connection between eating and our feelings. But understanding what drives emotional eating can help people take steps to change it.

One of the biggest myths about emotional eating is that it's prompted by negative feelings. Yes, people often turn to food when they're stressed out, lonely, sad, anxious, or bored. But emotional eating can be linked to positive feelings too, like the romance of sharing dessert on Valentine's Day or the celebration of a holiday feast.

Sometimes emotional eating is tied to major life events, like a death or a divorce. More often, though, it's the countless little daily stresses that cause someone to seek comfort or distraction in food.

Emotional eating patterns can be learned: A child who is given candy after a big achievement may grow up using candy as a reward for a job well done. A kid who is given cookies as a way to stop crying may learn to link cookies with comfort.

It's not easy to "unlearn" patterns of emotional eating. But it is possible. And it starts with an awareness of what's going on.

ARE YOU ADDICTED TO BUSYNESS ARE YOU A SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICT

You may be lost in the addiction to busyness if…

• Your usual response to “how are you?” is “so busy”, “crazy busy” or “busy but good”
• You spend time worrying about how busy you are going to be tomorrow
• You get angry when your spouse or friends aren’t as busy as you
• Your busy life keeps you up at night thinking about everything you didn’t get done
• You make a point of letting people know that you stay at the office after hours
• You check email several times a day
• You zone out during conversations thinking about everything you have to do
• You volunteer for things you don’t care about
• You spend time complaining about how busy you are
• You make list after list to make sure you don’t forget anything during your busy day
• You allocate time each day to clean your desk or organize your stuff
• You regularly eat in your car
• You use a phone in the car because “it’s the only time you have to talk”

London's secret music venue and their livestream act

With an invite-only door policy and super secret location, Boiler Room is London's most exclusive music venue. But elitism isn't the premise for its clandestine nature—in fact, anyone with an Internet connection can easily join in the fun. Using a simple webcam, the crew behind Boiler Room livestreams each set for the world to see free of charge, and each month more than a million viewers tune in to see performances by artists like James Blake, The xx, Roots Manuva, Neon Indian, Juan Maclean and more.

We recently chilled out to the smooth sounds of Brooklyn's How To Dress Well before rocking out to revered musician Matthew Dear, who brought down the house with an intense 40-minute DJ set. Keep an eye out for our interview with Dear, but for now you can get a little more insight into the underground music scene's most talked about livestream show by checking out our interview with assistant musical programmer and Boiler Room host Nic Tasker.

How important is it for Boiler Room to remain secret, at least in its location?

That is quite an important aspect of it, purely because it means when you do shows you don't get a lot of groupies, pretty much everyone in the room is either a friend of ours or one of the artist's. It helps to create a more relaxed atmosphere for the artist and I think they feel less pressure. They're also just able to chill out and be themselves more rather than having people being like, "Hi can I get your autograph?" If the artists are relaxed usually you get the best music.

It seems like there is more interaction among the crowd than at a typical venue, is that intentional?

It's definitely a social place. All the people that come down, most of them we know and they're all our friends. So they come down, hang, have a drink and just chill out, basically. From our very set-up, we do it with a webcam, we're not a highly professional organization but I think that's kind of the charm of it. The main thing is people come down with the right attitude.

How much of the show is prescribed?

I guess that depends on the artist. We never say anything. Literally, whatever they want to do—we're kind of the platform for them to do whatever they want, so if Matthew Dear wants to come and play an hour of noise with no beats, he can do that. That's fine with us, and I think that's why artists like coming to play for us. We're not like a club where you have to make people dance, we don't give a shit if people dance. It's nice if they do and it makes it more fun, but some nights you just get people appreciating the music, which is equally fun.

Is there a particular kind of artist you guys look for and ask to come perform?

No, not particularly, it's just whatever we're feeling. Thristian [Boiler Room's co-founder] has the main say on musical direction, but it's a massive team effort. In London there's five of us, New York there's two, LA there's one and Berlin there's two.

Tonight you had different set-ups for each artist, do you tailor their positioning in the room to their style?

It definitely depends on the act and what kind of music they do. With live bands we found what works nicely is having them opposite each other because it's like they're in rehearsal, like they're just jamming. Which is again trying to give them that chilled out feel that they're just at home jamming and there happens to be a camera there. For some of our shows we've had over 100,000 viewers. When you think of those numbers it's quite scary, but when you're in the room and it's all friends it creates that vibe that people don't mind. You can imagine if you had all those people in front of you it would be a very different situation.

Have you ever thought of Boiler Room as an East London version of Soul Train?

It's never crossed my mind like that, but I can see why you think that. I like to think of us as the new music broadcaster, kind of the new MTV, but obviously we operate in the underground scene mainly. But I like to think that what we do is as revolutionary as what they were doing. We're always growing into something new.

What's up next for Boiler Room?

We have had visual people in doing 3D mapping, and that's something we're looking forward to progressing—doing more with the visuals. We've got the upstairs as well, we're starting to do breakfast shows with some high profile DJs, we're going to be doing that regularly. Each will have an individual format. The next step is progressing the US shows, we're alternating weekly between New York and LA, so the next step is to take Boiler Room to America

Breaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap presents a groundbreaking developmental road map to guide readers away from their co-dependent behaviors and toward a life of wholeness and fulfillment.

Breaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap presents a groundbreaking developmental road map to guide readers away from their co-dependent behaviors and toward a life of wholeness and fulfillment.UK Citizens

This is the book that offers a different perspective on codependency and is strongly recommended by Dream Warrior Recovery as part of a solution based recovery. This bestselling book, now in a revised edition, radically challenges the prevailing medical definition of co-dependency as a permanent, progressive, and incurable addiction. Rather, the authors identify it as the result of developmental traumas that interfered with the infant-parent bonding relationship during the first year of life.US Citizens

Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Barry and Janae Weinhold correlate the developmental causes of co-dependency with relationship problems later in life, such as establishing and maintaining boundaries, clinging and dependent behaviors, people pleasing, and difficulty achieving success in the world. Then they focus on healing co-dependency, providing compelling case histories and practical activities to help readers heal early trauma and transform themselves and their primary relationships.

Get ready for a thrilling ride that takes you from the depths of Heroin addiction to the pinnacle of high society only to end up six feet under.

Get ready for a thrilling ride that takes you from the depths of Heroin addiction to the pinnacle of high society only to end up six feet under.

Vintage Ads Most Disturbing Household Products

 

All of the following ads are real and unaltered, so don't blame us. We weren't there when they were made, and in some cases the entire insane thought process that went into creating them has been lost to history. Maybe they made perfect sense at the time?

Maybe. But it's really hard to see how even our parents and grandparents didn't get nightmares from ...

#13. Three-Legged Dingo Boots

vintageadbrowser.com

The Message:

Here are some boots that you should buy, because famous people wear them. Three of them.

The Horror:

Wait, what?

Yes, amazingly, the fact that this ad stars a pre-murder O.J. Simpson is the second-creepiest thing about it. And you can squint and try to read the text all you want -- it makes no reference whatsoever to the fact that their spokesperson has three legs. There's no cute slogan like "Boots so comfortable, you'll wish you had another foot!" Nope. It's like some guy in the art department just said, "Eh, I don't like how you can't really see the chair, let's just add another leg to fill that space."

We know what you're thinking: "Cracked, this is obviously a subtle 'big dick' joke. 'Third leg?' Get it?" But, no, it turns out this was a whole campaign they did with various celebrities, some of whom are women:

eBay
Like, uh ... this famous lady right here.

But O.J. seems to be the most frequent star of the "Third Leg" campaign, which apparently lasted for years. Note how his afro shrinks as he gets more comfortable with his new appendage:

The picture in that third ad would have been perfect for the cover of his book.

Please don't blame us for the inevitable nightmare in which O.J. is running after you, in the dark, those three boots pounding down the pavement after you with a noise like a wounded horse.

#12. Lord West Suits Will Impress Your 7-Year-Old Date

vintageadbrowser.com
"I like my women like I like my code names: 007."

The Message:

Women of all ages dig men in tuxedos!

The Horror:

According to the text, this dinner suit is for "sophisticated traditionalists," a euphemism we weren't previously aware of for "child molesters." Because there's no other way to interpret this picture. That's not tenderness on their faces. That's hunger. If you told us that they're a father and daughter, that would only make it creepier.

And it turns out that this is only the worst example in a whole series of ads associating little girls with selling tuxedos.

eBay
The style is best described as Godfather meets Lolita.

Can you imagine the pitch meeting that led to this campaign? Picture Don Draper from Mad Men standing before his clients, selling them on this idea:

"Class. Elegance. Making out with little girls. These are the values your company represents."

"Did ... did you say 'making out with little girls,' Don?"

"Yes," replied Don with perfect confidence.

"OK, just making sure."

Sitting at the end of the table, Peggy looks at Don and smiles. He did it again.

#11. Man in Tuxedo Carefully Considers Naked Child

library.duke.edu
"Told you it was bigger. Now pay up."

The Message:

Regular soap sinks in the bathtub, causing children to take longer in washing themselves and their fathers to get angry and spank them. Prevent child abuse by buying Ivory Soap -- it floats.

The Horror:

OK, they're clearly just fucking with us at this point. Remove the text and the message becomes clear: "In the old days, child predators used to dress way better than they do now." But let's put the pedophilia overtones aside for the moment and examine the text.

Was the elaborate scenario described under the picture (involving childhoods ruined by non-floating soap) really such a common problem in the '20s, or was this based on the painful personal experiences of whoever commissioned this ad? We're betting on the latter option. Note that the father's body language doesn't say "I'm going to spank you" -- he's clearly pondering which part of the kid's body to break first.

"Maybe the 28th trimester isn't too late for an abortion."

#10. "Are You Sure I'll Still Be a Virgin?"

thesocietypages.org
"If you didn't think band camp counted, I don't see why you'd think this would."

The Message:

Don't worry, teens, you can use Tampax tampons without losing your virginity.

The Horror:

Be honest: How many of you looked at this picture and immediately recognized it as a Tampax ad? And how many looked at it and thought it depicted a teenage girl being sexually propositioned? It's not just us, is it?

This ad would have looked 90 percent less sordid if both people involved were clearly visible. Instead, the second teenager is for some reason sitting on the floor of the porch with her back to us, so we can't see how young, or scared, she is. But, of course, all of that is purely from our own depraved imagination. The real ad is simply about two teenagers debating whether or not inserting a tampon counts as sex.

#9. Escaped Convicts Love Revell Authentic Model Kits

vintageadbrowser.com
"Is this the new plan, boss?"
"I've spent all day plotting against Superman; this is 'Lex Time'."

The Message:

Hey kids! Check out these sweet model kits!

The Horror:

There's only one possible scenario in which this picture could have come to exist: The photographers were getting ready to shoot this ad when they realized that the boy who was supposed to be holding up the models in the picture never showed up for work. Panicking, the man from the ad agency looked around the studio.

"Dmitri, can you come here for a second?" he said to the guy who fixes the lighting. "Stand here and hold this model. Yes, that's great. You'll play the boy in this ad."

"But sir," said the photographer, "Dmitri was just released from jail. In fact, he's still wearing the prison jumpsuit."

"No, no, he's perfect. Look at him. Look at that childlike innocence in his face."

"Could you open the top button maybe, show a little chest hair?"

"Perfect."

#8. Our Competitors = Surgical Ass Torture

vintageadbrowser.com
"Don't worry, sir, the gloves are just to establish atmosphere."

The Message:

Using cheap toilet paper can lead to medical complications.

The Horror:

... which in turn can lead to rubber-gloved hands inserting clamps in your anus. Better play it safe and go with Scott Tissues.

This attempt to traumatize customers into buying their product with threats of anal torture was part of a whole marketing campaign created during the Great Depression in which Scott Tissues' slogan went from "Wipe your butt with us" to "Wipe your butt with us, or die in a world of asshole pain."

Of course, it was all bullshit: There's no such thing as "toilet tissue illness," it was just a thing they made up to convince people to keep buying tissues at a time when they were lucky enough if they had a toilet.

#7. "Before You Scold Me, Mom ... Maybe You'd Better Light Up a Marlboro"

deceptology.com

The Message:

Before you beat your baby for stealing your favorite hat, have a cigarette and relax yourself. Then beat the baby.

The Horror:

How many times did this months-old child have to be punched before it learned to pick up the Marlboros and offer them to mommy to calm her down? If that's not the saddest thing you've imagined all week, you're dead inside. This is actually one in a series of ads from the '50s, back when Marlboro was targeting mommies instead of rugged cowboys. Sometimes the babies actually seem to be guilting their moms into smoking more.

tobacco.stanford.edu
"You turned me into an addict when I was a fetus, now deal with it."

Oddly enough, the version of this ad aimed at fathers doesn't involve scolding, but a pompous baby in a basket defending daddy's rather feminine cigarette tastes (note the reference to "beauty tips" at the bottom).

tobacco.stanford.edu
This is the kind of debate babies have all the time.

Brad Pitt is reportedly utilising his free time to plan his wedding with Angelina Jolie.

The 48-year-old has taken charge of preparations for the wedding that is expected to take place end of September. He has flown in a team of builders to renovate the home he shares with Jolie in southern France.

"Angelina isn`t so bothered about when they tie the knot, it`s Brad who is piling on the pressure," a website has quoted a source as saying.

"He wants the main house to be finished when the event takes place, even though the close friends and relatives who are invited aren`t the types to care. He wants everything to be absolutely perfect," the source added.

Exclusive pop-up restaurant “The Cube” opens up in London

A new pop-up restaurant “The Cube” has now opened atop the Royal Festival Hall in London.  This exclusive and cool  restaurant is a creation of the company Elexctrolux in celebration of their kitchenware products.  The restaurant has just finished touring Berlin and Milan and is now scheduled to be in London until the 30^th of September 2012.

The Cube was designed by Italian architects Park Associati.  It is made entirely from glass giving guests maximum visibly of the views across the Thames, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.  The interiors are minimalistic with a simplistic layout and contrasting colours between the white dining fittings, and the dark wood flooring.

Guests can watch as their meals are prepared in an open-concept kitchen manned by six renowned chefs including Tim Kitichin, Sat Bains, Claude Bosi, Daniel Clifford and Jonray and Peter Sanchez. Each chef has designed an exclusive menu which will be kept as a fully guarded secret until guests arrive.  With an intimate setting which seats up to 18 people, you can be sure that the experience will feel personal and exclusive.

Open daily, lunch will be offered at 12:00 for £175 and dinners will be offered at £19:00 for £215.

Madonna fans leave 'worst ever' gig thirty minutes early

Star finishes first England show in four years 90 seconds before curfew

Fans complain at lack of hits played at show which failed to sell out

There were cheeky flourishes but Madonna dipped into one of popular music's great back catalogues only occasionally

Angry Madonna fans branded her Hyde Park gig “the worst ever” as they left the venue early in their droves last night.

Hundreds of fans walked out of the London leg of the singer’s MDNA tour with more than half an hour remaining.

The 53-year-old, playing her first concert in England in four years, finished 90 seconds before the 10.30pm curfew that would have seen her unplugged like Bruce Springsteen three days earlier.

But many fans, frustrated by a lack of hits, low volume, and a number of “gothy” reworkings of songs, chose not to stay for the finale.

High ticket prices appeared to keep some fans away altogether. The show failed to sell out and as the show began touts were hawking tickets for less than half their £77 face value. 

On eBay some tickets failed to sell despite starting prices as low as £10. One entrepreneur’s attempt to cash in by selling two Golden Triangle passes for £850 attracted zero bids.

Rick Salthouse, 46, a gym owner from Manchester, said: “It was the worst gig I have ever been to. I've been a big Madonna fan all my life but I will never buy one of her records again.”

Alex Tobin, 35, a bank worker from Beckenham, said: “It was a huge disappointment. I didn’t recognise 95 per cent of the songs. Most people were bored.”

His wife Sinead Tobin, 35, a doctor, said: “It was OK to begin with but the rain didn’t help. It changed the mood of the crowd.”

However Adam Cook, 28, from Milton Keynes, said: “She was brilliant but for the casual fan there was not a lot. We went to see her show in Berlin and they went mental, it was the same show.”

TV presenter Toby Anstis wrote on Twitter: “I can definitely say, that was THE best live show i have ever seen! Mesmerising from start to finish! Amaaaazin!”

Kylie Mingoue, George Michael, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and U2 rocker Adam Clayton were spotted in the golden circle at the front of the stage at the gig.

Among fans who stayed for the whole concert, reaction was mixed.  And Springsteen had a dig at the officials who pulled the plug on him in London. Playing in Dublin last night The Boss told the crowd: “Before we were so rudely interrupted..” before playing the lost final chords of Twist and Shout.

His band then tore into The Clash’s protest song ‘I Fought The Law’, while during ‘Dancing in the Dark’ video screens showed only a generator battery switched firmly “on”.

Idol in crisis as Aerosmith rocker Tyler quits show and J.Lo weighs up future

ROCKER Steven Tyler has bowed out of his job as a judge on American Idol for the coming season, saying he wants to dedicate himself to Aerosmith. Tyler's departure comes as his fellow judge Jennifer Lopez also weighs whether to return to the programme that once reigned supreme in US TV ratings, but has seen its audience shrink in recent years. A third panellist, Randy Jackson, seems a likely bet to return for the programme's 12th season as either a judge or mentor. "I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I'm back," the band's lead singer said. "I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress, American Idol, before she boils my rabbit," Tyler added, in a reference to the movie Fatal Attraction. "I got two fists in the air, and I'm kicking the door open with my band." Tyler, 64, and Aerosmith had amassed numerous hits like Walk This Way and I Don't Want To Miss a Thing since gaining fame in the 1970s, but had reached a lull a few years back when the singer decided to join American Idol. The addition of Tyler and Lopez to the judging panel in the 2011 season sparked great interest in the Fox TV network's hit show. But the most recent season, which ended in May, had the lowest-rated finale in 11 years, with just 21.5m tuning in to watch Phillip Phillips win the title. More than 30m viewers watched the show's finale in its heyday in 2006 and 2007. Mark Darnell, president of alternative entertainment for Fox, said: "We are very sad that Steven has chosen to focus more on his music, but we always knew when we hired a rock 'n' roll legend that he would go back to music." Indeed, Tyler's return to performing seemed foremost on his mind in March when Aerosmith announced it would go on tour in June and release its first album in eight years. Still in doubt is the fate of Lopez, who seemed still undecided about her next move, on NBC's Today show. "It's been on my mind a lot, as you can imagine," she said. "You know, I signed on to American Idol to do one year, and ... I wound up doing the two years. And now it's like, 'okay, do we continue on this journey?'."

Twilight cast get their teeth into huge party to celebrate saga's final film

THE stars of Twilight gathered for the final time at the Comic-Con pop culture convention, laughing and joking with fans as they reflected on a "bittersweet" end to the film franchise that catapulted them to fame. The Twilight films -- five in all based on a series of young adult novels by author Stephenie Meyer about a vampire, Edward Cullen, who falls in love with Bella Swan -- have become a blockbuster franchise earning $2.5bn at global box offices from the first four films alone. The final instalment, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2" is due out in November. "If you told me tomorrow that we had to reshoot some scene, I'd be so happy because I do enjoy living in this world. "We got to do it for four years and I put everything I had into it," said Kristen Stewart, who plays Swan. "Even though it's a bummer to walk away, it's something I'll always have." She was joined by fellow actors Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, author Meyer and newcomer Mackenzie Foy, who plays Edward and Bella's daughter, Renesmee. Comic-Con attracts more than 125,000 movie, TV, comic book and pop culture fans annually, and Hollywood's studios turn out with upcoming films and stars to promote. The Twilight makers used the convention as a launching pad for the first film in 2008 and they continue to return to reach hard-core followers. Thousands of fans lined up for hours, and for some people, days, to get into a Comic-Con panel where the stars talked about the film and treated fans to the first seven minutes of Breaking Dawn -- Part 2. In the clip, Bella is seen experiencing her first moments as a vampire, reuniting with husband Edward and coming to terms with her new found bloodlust. The footage ended just as Bella meets Renesmee, leaving the audience desperate for more thrills. Comic-Con fans were also treated to a short clip showing the new Bella having to disguise herself as a human. Questions from the audience focused on the actors' personal highlights over the last four years of filming. The cast appeared in a jovial mood, teasing each other and sharing stories from the film shoot. They said Comic-Con provided an opportunity to reconnect with some of their most rabid fans.

Mariah Carey is reportedly in talks to join American Idol in the wake of Steven Tyler's exit.

Mariah Carey is rumoured to be in talks to join the judging panel on American Idol

 

The chart-topping singer - who was tipped for a slot on Simon Cowell's US X Factor before Britney Spears and Demi Lovato signed up - is considering joining the judging panel of the TV talent show, reports People.

An insider said the mother-of-two is "in play", adding: "They are in serious talks."

The news comes after Aerosmith rocker Steven announced he was leaving Idol after two seasons to focus on his music.

It seems there might be a complete shake-up on Idol as Jennifer Lopez, who had been sharing the judging panel with Steven and Randy Jackson, has also hinted that there is a good likelihood that she will not be back.

And Us Weekly is reporting that there are plans for Randy, the only original judge left, to move from the panel to a mentoring role on the show.

An insider claimed: "They are in serious talks with Mariah and it's very close to being a done deal.

"And they will move Randy into a more mentoring role."

Farrell gives take on Recall remake

Colin Farrell has said he does not think he's supplanting Arnold Schwarzenegger in the new take on Total Recall. Farrell told fans at the Comic-Con convention that his version of Schwarzenegger's 1990 science-fiction thriller may be a remake, but it has a different style and tone that makes the story its own. "I didn't feel the need to fill those size 16 shoes or 18 shoes or whatever size foot Arnie has. The film felt different enough that I could go and make it my own," Farrell said. "I did think about messing around with an Austrian accent for about seven minutes." Total Recall is inspired by a short story from science-fiction master Philip K Dick. It is about a working-class guy (Farrell) who discovers hidden memories that hint at a former life as a deadly operative, and co-stars Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel. The movie opens on August 3. It is directed by Beckinsale's husband, Len Wiseman, who also directed her in the vampire tale Underworld and its first sequel. Beckinsale takes on the role originally played by Sharon Stone, the seemingly loving wife who turns out to be a deadly agent playing out an elaborate deception. "I'm still offended that you thought of me for this psycho-bitch role," Beckinsale told her husband during the Comic-Con panel. "But it's nice to be able to open up the crazy a little bit." The film-makers showed a montage of about six minutes of footage of the futuristic world of Total Recall, including a police car chase with flying vehicles and a savage scene of close-quarter fighting in an elevator. One of the big differences between the two versions is that the new one sticks to Earth, while the original concluded on Mars. Farrell also said the new one sets aside a lot of the campy humour of Schwarzenegger's movie. "This is played a lot straighter," Farrell said. "What I'm saying is, I don't have one-liners."

EDDIE GRIFFIN Gets Into Drink-Throwing Fight During His Own Show

Eddie Griffin responded the only way he knew how when a woman threw a drink at him during his own stand-up show ... he threw one back ... and it was all caught on video.

Police in Pleasanton, CA tell TMZ they were called to Tommy T's Comedy Club on Friday night after a fight broke out when a woman became so offended at Griffin's act ... she threw a drink at him while he was on stage. 

The video obtained by TMZ begins after the woman threw the drink and Griffin can be seen retaliating, pouring his bottle of water on her and then tossing it at her. 

Security had the woman removed from the venue and the club closed down for the night after the fracas. 

The club did not want anyone arrested and the woman was gone by the time police got there.

A British photographer's adorable images of puppies, ducklings and even kittens in hammocks will brighten up any rainy day.

Master of cuteness Mark Taylor's images are in demand all over the world for the purr-fect way they capture a softer side to our best-loved animals.

His photographs are a legacy from his late mother Jane Burton who pioneered the style so familiar on calendars in offices and maths teacher classrooms everywhere.

Fosset the kitten with a yellow gosling: Photographer Mark Taylor is famous around the world for his cute shots of animals in unusual poses

Fosset cuddles up to his gosling friend: Mr Taylor's photographs are a legacy from his late mother Jane Burton who pioneered the style

 

Stanley the kitten with a duckling: Despite the menacing look in Stanley's eyes, Mr Taylor has never had any incidents where one subject ate another

Using a simple clean white background and some unusual animal pairings Mr Taylor's style has seen him make the cover of prestigious wildlife magazine National Geographic.

In this set of heart-warming images Mr Taylor shows why he's one of the best in his field tapping into that desire in us all to see something fluffy.

 

More...

• Women cat owners are 'more likely to kill themselves' due to higher chance of infection with parasite found in feline faeces

 

From ducklings with puppies, to dogs with kittens and even rabbits Mark captures them all on camera as if they were the best and friends.

And thankfully so far he's had no case of any of them eating each other.

Hear me roar: Kittens Stanley and Fosset have a cuddle

 

Guess who! Stanley holds his paws over Fosset's face as they play

 

King of the castle: Stanley climbs on top of Fosset

 

Not just for Christmas: Stanley and Fosset pose inside a gift box

Touch on that: Stanley offers his paw for a fist bump. Right, he poses with a bright red flower

 

Oh you! Stanley gestures towards the camera as he lies in a hammock

 

Time for a cat nap: Stanley and Fosset enjoy a snooze

Keeping it in the family: Mr Taylor's daughter Siena, pictured with Stanley, helps to pose the animals for her father's photo shoots

Mr Taylor, 47, creates his images all at his home studio Warren Photographic, in Guildford, Surrey.

His father Kim is a world-renowned wildlife photographer. His mother Jane, who died in 2007 after a brave battle against cancer, was one of the first to use a unique style now so well adopted by her son.

Mr Taylor, a father of one, said: 'There have been a few close shaves when we have put the different animals together, but we often "introduce" the animals to a rabbit in a cage first to gauge the reaction.

'If the dog starts licking its lips we know it might not work out well, and for example it's best not to put a Jack Russell next to a rabbit.

'I have helpers in the studio and some of the animals extras we have here, for example we have six rabbits, but others we have to bring in.

'The key to the photograph is making sure the animals are not doing anything they don't want to do because I think you can tell if they are not enjoying themselves.

'My mother was a pioneer if you like of this idea of using the clean white backgrounds and I like to think I am carrying on her legacy.'

You wanna start something? Stanley goes nose to nose with a Bichon Fris

 

My big mate: Stanley nuzzles up with Great Dane pup Tia

 

Where u go? Stanley and Tia have a play

Keeping it in the family Mr Taylor's daughter Siena, 10, is also on hand to pose up with the animals in the pictures.

Mr Taylor, who uses a Cannon 1DS Mark III camera, said that he felt his photographs were so popular because they tap into an desire in us all to relate to animals.

He said: 'I think the fascinating aspect of this type of photography is that it taps into something in us all that sees ourselves and human emotions in our pets and other animals.'

Barclays boss Bob Diamond resigns

Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond has resigned with immediate effect. The move comes less than a week after the bank was fined a record amount for trying to manipulate inter-bank lending rates. Mr Diamond said he was stepping down because the external pressure on the bank risked "damaging the franchise". Chairman Marcus Agius, who said on Monday he was stepping down, will take over the running of Barclays until a replacement is found. "I am deeply disappointed that the impression created by the events announced last week about what Barclays and its people stand for could not be further from the truth," Mr Diamond said in a statement. He will still appear before MPs on the Treasury Committee to answer questions about the Libor affair on Wednesday. "I look forward to fulfilling my obligation to contribute to the Treasury Committee's enquiries related to the settlements that Barclays announced last week without my leadership in question," Mr Diamond said. Last week, regulators in the US and UK fined Barclays £290m ($450m) for attempting to rig Libor and Euribor, the interest rates at which banks lend to each other, which underpin trillions of pounds worth of financial transactions. Staff did this over a number of years, trying to raise them for profit and then, during the financial crisis, lowering them to hide the level to which Barclays was under financial stress. Prime Minister David Cameron has described the rigging of Libor rates as "a scandal". The Serious Fraud Office is also considering whether to bring criminal charges.

Victoria Beckham, who, less than 24 hours after reuniting with her former bandmates, was back in Los Angeles.

They hadn't been in the same room together for quite some time so you'd have thought the Spice Girls would have had lots to catch-up on.

Or maybe not for Victoria Beckham, who, less than 24 hours after reuniting with her former bandmates, was back in Los Angeles.

The fashion designer was snapped jetting into the city last night, just a few hours after she and the Spice Girls joined forces once more to announce details of a West End musical based on their songs.

That was quick! Victoria Beckham flew into Los Angeles last night less than 24 hours after reuniting with the Spice Girls in London

 

Company: Victoria was joined by hairdresser and friend Ken Paves as she made her way through the terminal

 

And despite her crazy 24 hours and a long-haul flight across the Atlantic, Victoria, 38, still looked her immaculate self.

Dressed in tight leather trousers, towering heels and her trademark huge sunglasses, Victoria looked very chic as she made her way through the terminal at LAX.

Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she teamed her outfit with a huge belt and a clutch bag and she was accompanied by her good friend and hairdresser Ken Paves.

You must be tired! It was a busy 24 hours for Victoria who had flown in to London especially for the reunion and despite the long haul flight still managed to look effortlessly chic

Victoria had flown out of London where she had met up with her former girl group friends - Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm, Melanie Brown and Geri Halliwell - to launch the musical.

And they went back to where it all began - the St Pancras Hotel in London, where they filmed their Wannabe video in 1996.

The musical, entitled Viva Forever!, will tell the story of 'a beautiful, talented girl and her best friends who get swept up in the obsession of today's TV celebrity culture'.

The sunglasses are there for a reason! Victoria hid her face from the flashbulb frenzy as she got into her waiting car

The musical 'charts her journey into the world of overnight fame and its impact on her relationships with her mother and the friends she thought she'd have forever'.

Based on the Spice Girl songs, it was written by comedienne Jennifer Saunders and produced by Judy Craymer, the theatrical impresario behind the success of Mamma Mia!

Saunders, who cameoed in their film Spice World, said: 'The second I knew this project was up for grabs I rang my agent and said I had to be involved.'

Spice Girls forever: (L-R) Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham launched the musical at the the St Pancras Hotel in London, where they filmed their Wannabe video in 1996.

The group's reunion today comes four years after their sell-out Return Of The Spice Girls world tour, which ended prematurely after they cancelled the gigs in South America, South Africa and Asia.

During their four years in the charts, they enjoyed nine No.1 singles and two No.1 albums in the UK, including one No.1 single and album in the U.S.