The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

WE ALL know that chocolate can be good for you – it's all of those lovely antioxidants in the cocoa, apparently – but who would have thought our favourite snack could help us get some shut-eye too. So for a soothing bedtime treat, try chocolate RestBites (11.95 for ten packets, at www.restbites.co.uk). These chocolate-covered pumpkin bars are rich in sleep-inducing tryptophan and are the first food-based sleep aid made from entirely natural ingredients that will help relax you into a deep slumber. It certainly beats counting sheep.Now all we need is for them to invent chocolate that makes us slim.

The bad

FED up with being targeted by the chuggers (that's charity muggers)? Yes, those endlessly perky teams of people with clipboards whose only aim is to ruthlessly separate you from your heard-earned cash. We are all for good causes but surely we have the right to take the time to choose which charities we want to donate to, without being ambushed on the street by absurdly attractive, but persistent, collectors who are being paid for their services.

The ugly

THE Wii version of reality TV show Project Runway is being released later this month. The game will cast players as aspiring fashion designers who will need to create their own designs and dress models if they are to survive in the fashion world. Aimed at girls aged between six and 12, the game will also offer players the opportunity to showcase their virtual fashions while walking down a catwalk using the Wii Balance Board controller. Yes, that's right, our little girls will be competing to improve their catwalks. Yes, fashion is all about fantasy, but surely this is taking things a step too far?

This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday, March 14, 2010