Remember the good old days of fighting with your siblings over which radio station the family listened to in the car?

However, the almost worldwide takeover of the personal music collection by Apple and the ubiquitous iPod has changed the landscape of travel music forever, with barely a soul on earth now not owning one of their tiny music devices.

But has this been a real benefit to the individual or is it at the cost of personal preference? Sure, everyone has a music collection dozens of megabytes in size, but the ability to share, and thereby devalue you treasured listening, has left many lamenting the standardisation of travel music. Gone are the days of making a special mix tape for that special holiday, but has that music disappeared as well?

So what is the best, as opposed to most commonly accessible or downloadable, travel music? The traditional soft-rock, middle of the road, easy listening rock will always be popular, with its guitar-led melodies and tales of love and escape most suited to long road trips. Oldies such as The Eagles, Credence Clearwater Revival and the Doobie Brothers are all essential for touring the United States, while the British seem to favour rock bands such as Blur, Oasis, Coldplay, the Stone Roses and U2 for getting around.

Few people can think of heading into New York without imaging Frank Sinatra crooning, while Edith Piaf is synonymous with old time Parisian travel. No trip to Jamaica or any island resort in Southeast Asia is complete without the obligatory Bob Marley soundtrack, although beach bums have tuned into ambient and down-tempo dub and chill, with the likes of kiwi band Fat Freddy’s Drop and the west coast sounds of Sublime and DJ Mark Farina ideally suited for the ultimate driving cruise.

Of course, sing along artists such as Ronan Keating, Van Morrison and Elton John remain popular with female drivers, while red-blooded males still get their testosterone kicks to Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Guns and Roses and Elvis Presley.

So it seems that old, easy listening, favourites are still the most played, evoking a sense of impending escape or adventure that comes with the knowledge that you are finally heading somewhere new.

Dedicated followers of fashion who are interested in pursuing a career in the industry will now be able to do so at a new United Arab Emirate campus.

The world-famous London College of Fashion (LCF), which is the only British institution to offer specialised study courses in fashion research, education and consultancy, has announced the launch of its UAE program which will offer potential students the chance to study some of the most popular programs under the school’s top teachers.

 A total of nine short-courses will be offered in the UAE from May 22nd until May 26th 2010, including; Introduction to Fashion Journalism, Fashion Buying and Merchandising, Principles of Personal Fashion Styling, Luxury Brand and Product Design, Online Fashion Marketing, Introduction to Fashion Marketing, The Power of Visual Merchandising, The Business of Fashion and Starting Your Own Fashion Label.

LCF claims that the history of the Middle East, steeped in painting and poetry, is an ideal location for fashion study. The short courses are the same as those that have been a success in the UK and offer UAE residents a great opportunity to develop their skills of just hone their interest. Already several local designers and labels have signed up for the wonderful opportunity.

The courses will be taught be established fashion industry professionals, such as Jimmy Choo, and will provide a Certificate of Attendance to all participants.

Lady Gaga is known for her outlandish fashion sense, but we never thought that her style would actually put her danger. This came after the US pop star told Jonathan Ross last week that she would rather die than for her fans to see her in regular clothes without a pair of high heels on. She even said that she would never give up her hats or wigs for anything. This pledge took a turn for the worst on her most recent flight.

Gaga was on a long-haul flight from London to the US this week when the cabin crew started to worry when her legs started to swell due to another one of her crazy outfits. The singer had been wearing a striped black and yellow tape dress with blue Armadillo heels made by Alexander McQueen. The crew quickly insisted that she change, as they thought that the swelling could be the early stages of deep vein thrombosis. She would have risked facing long-term damage if she didn’t change.

A source with the airline she was flying with said that Gaga was a high-risk deep vein thrombosis case and was advised to change her outfit. However, the dress was so oppressive that she needed help getting it off by the cabin crew, they continued. Gaga was a little annoyed about taking off her heels, the source added, because she was wearing them in memory of McQueen, whose passing has left the singer in mourning.

Hopefully Gaga won’t have another scare like this. Since she can’t wear everyday clothes on even a flight, maybe next time she should wear something with just a little more breathing room than a taped on dress.