Bad Science.

This is one of my favourite books of all time, I've been telling friends and family to read it for years but they all seem to be scared off by the fact that it has the word 'Science' in the title. They needn't be worried, Ben Goldacre takes the jargon and confusion out of science, and replaces it with good old fashioned common sense and a bit of logical thinking. I for one am sick of the mess of complicated pseudoscience we are presented with from all angles. Not only does this book blow all that out of the water and explain the real facts behind the headlines but by the end of it you will be able to spot 'bad science' a mile off, which I think is a very good thing.

p.s. I would particularly recommend the chapter on Dr Gillian McKeith if she has ever spoilt your T.V. dinner by poking around in someone's poo.

Here are some other people's thoughts on 'Bad Science':

"Unmissable... laying about himself in a froth of entirely justified indignation, Goldacre slams the mountebanks and bullshitters who misuse science. Few escape: drug companies, self-styled nutritionists, deluded researchers and journalists all get thoroughly duffed up" The Times, Books of the Year

"Hugely entertaining... an essential primer for anyone who has ever felt uneasy about news coverage of faddish scientific "breakthroughs", health scares and "studies have shown" stories - it should be on the national curriculum" Time out

Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks

 And check this out for bad science updates: http://www.badscience.net/

GAPPERS: Back to Basics.

I love this video. The poem is so honest and straightforward, but powerful too.

GAPPERS: Back to Basics.: "This poem was written in a 24-7 prayer room and tries to explain why Jesus died and what His death means. "

Watch it and have a think.

I heart pretty things...

I love my room at uni. In a house where the bin is always overflowing and the kitchen resembles a before shot from 'How clean is your house?' my room is my sanctuary. My favourite thing in my room has to be the lovely fabric noticeboard my Mum made for me over the summer. These seem to have become really popular recently and I can see why. They are a super-pretty way to store all those important notes and to display your favourite photos. I have seen them for over £20 in super-boutiquey shops but as my Mum demonstrated, with a bit of creativity, you can make one for much less than that.

Here is a selection of my faves on sale online :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/green-flower-fabric-notice-board/dp/B002YO6SLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1305755556&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gisela-Graham-Pink-Fabric-Noticeboard/dp/B0039FLMUU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1305754620&sr=8-5

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shabby-Strawberry-Fabric-Kitchen-Noticeboard/dp/B003EH0ADS/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1305754620&sr=8-14

And this is what you would need to make one yourself:

• Some mdf
• Wadding
• Pretty fabric of your choice
• Some ribbon
• A staple gun
• And a bit of imagination ;)

Taa daa! The noticeboard in my room.

Cloudspotting...

I read somewhere the other day that the older you get, the more difficult it is for you to see shapes in clouds. This scared me. I don't want to reach a stage when I can't look up at the sky and see an elephant, floating in between Winston Churchill and a pineapple with a suitcase ... that would be terrible.
So I shall practice cloudspotting whenever I can, and I've found a book to inspire me:



A Pig with Six Legs and Other Clouds
"This is a glorious collection of clouds that look like things, including dragons, skateboarders, pasta, witches and poodles. It is a proud celebration of the carefree, aimless and endlessly life-affirming pastime of cloudspotting"

There you go. You didn't know clouds could be life-affirming did you. Well it's true - the cloud appreciation society say so.

http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/

Faith. Hope. LOVE.

These are three short but powerful words; they are what life means to me.

1 Corinthians 13:13 says:
Now three things remain: faith, hope and love...
But the greatest of these is love.

It was at a young age that I came to the conclusion that love was the meaning of life. I still believe it now. It might sound soppy but imagine a world without love; isn't love what makes each day not only bearable but wonderful? Just think about the media, how many of the books we read and movies we watch are about love? Not just the romantic kind but love between brothers, sisters, fellow countrymen, a parent's love for their child. Christian or not, it is clear love means a lot.

But for me, the thing that makes living worthwhile, is not the love of the people in my life but the love of God. Knowing that he loves me so much that he sent his only child to die in my place, that his love is totally unconditional, undeserved, everlasting and perfect.

If you think earthly love brings meaning to life, wait 'till you get a taste of heavenly love - everything changes.

Candy cakes :P

Ok, I know I am an awful blogger - failing to create something that meets even the most basic requirements of a blog (i.e. interesting and with more than 2 posts a year).

However, it's a new year so I shall try again, starting by sharing with you a secret: I know where to get the BEST cupcakes ever. I know, it sounds unbelievable but these aren't even arguably the best cupcakes ever - they are THE best.

http://www.candycakes.com/

Go there. Find out for yourself. Thank me later ;)

That is all.

It's not about the cheese... It's about what the cheese represents.

For those of you who don't know, the number one crime you could commit in a student house is stealing food. You could pretty much get away with playing your music loud or never loading the dishwasher, but the moment you use someone else's butter or nick a pot noodle, you've crossed a line.
Why does this particular vice trump all the others? You may well ask. Well, the answer is in the title of this post:

It's not about the food. It's about what the food REPRESENTS.

And what does the food represent? TRUST
Not just any ordinary trust, but the bond of trust between housemates. You don't want to live in a house with people you can't trust, it stops it feeling like home.

Ok so it's also a little bit about the food... students are on a budget... we can't afford to be paying to feed other people.

So let that be a lesson to all those who live/will soon be living in student houses...just pop to the shops... it's not worth it!