Am I just hopelessly jaded or totally cynical? I know it's easy to say with hindsight, but when I saw those Slumdog Millionaire children from the Mumbai slums being feted at the Oscars, posing with famous names and generally being introduced to what must seem a fairytale world to them, the alarm bells that went off were positively deafening.  

Oh yes, there were the promises, the establishing of trust funds, the commitments to schooling and promises to keep an eye on them. But essentially, after the lights and cameras had been turned off and all the famous faces had headed back to their luxy pads in the Hollywood Hills, Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail had no option but to return to the abject poverty, grime and struggle which helped bring the film its many trophies.

Slumdog Millionaire was touted as heartwarming - an assessment I never shared. Heartwarming is when the problem's solved, and children like Rubina and Azharuddin are guaranteed the same basic 'comforts' enjoyed by other children. Like a safe home, a warm bed and hope for the future - not 15 minutes in the spotlight which serve only to highlight the dreadful disparity between what they have and what could have been theirs in another life.

 

So thank god for Danny Boyle and his conscience. The purchase of one flat won't change the world, but it sure as heck is a step in the right direction... 

Hmm, it's all very heartening to know that after positively decades of marriage Dustin Hoffman is still enarmoured of his wife Lisa. But I'm not sure about all that red carpet snuffling he was doing at the perfume awards bash.

He seems to have been haming it up at these sort of events more and more recently. Or was he always like that?

Come to think of it, I seem to remember him being snapped playing 'can you spot me' from behind a pencil-thick palm while on holiday in Europe last summer.

Perhaps it's not so much that he's showing another side of himself, more that I've never really noticed how uninhibited he can be on some occasions!

This whole thing about Katie Price and Peter Andre breaking up sounds really weird. If you read what they both say, it's hard to understand how they got to this point. She doesn't want to break up - he's the love of her life - and Andre seems equally stunned by the turn of events.

It seems like just five minutes ago that they were facing the world hand-in-hand. What on Earth's gone wrong? I have to 'fess up to a niggle of doubt about the veracity of the whole scenario. Could this possibly be a ratings boosting endeavor for their flagging reality show? Or am I just being way too cynical.

Any thoughts?

I've always liked Zara Phillips - she just seems so down-to-earth and, well - just normal. The kind of girl I can imagine having a giggle over a cocktail with. And after hearing about the Mr & Mrs-style quiz she and Mike Tindall took part in, I like her even more.

How funny they both selected the "big tackle" option when asked what attracted Zara to Mike in the first place. They say the couple who laughs together, stays together, and if so, these two definitely have a great future ahead of them.

Everyone seems to be itching for an engagement announcement from them, but I'm not sure if it'll be coming sometime soon. They just seem to be happy the way they are, and not at all worried about conforming to old fashioned ideals of what a relationship should be. If it 'aint broke, don't fix it I reckon!