Hijack your own dreams to improve your skills

Saw this article in New Scientist today.  It's an interesting concept and one that follows on from my previous post re sleep paralysis (see The waking nightmare of sleep paralysis, from August 2011 - http://tinypiney.blogspot.com/2011/08/waking-nightmare-of-sleep-paralysis.html)

This part really interested me:

Is dream time the same as real time?

Upon waking from a particularly vivid dream, it can feel as though you have been through a lifetime in one night. In the film Inception, characters can achieve an hour's worth of activity in a dream that actually lasts 5 minutes. However, research suggests that the reverse is true when dreaming.

Daniel Erlacher, now at the University of Bern in Switzerland, and his colleagues gave 15 lucid dreamers tasks to perform in their dreams. In separate experiments, each participant counted to 10, 20 or 30 and walked 10, 20 or 30 steps.

The dreamers signalled their progress through eye movements. These were recorded using an electro-oculogram, which monitors changes in electrical activity as the eye moves between two fixed points. Dreamers signalled that they had begun the task by looking in one direction and finished looking in the other. The researchers ensured participants were asleep by recording brain and muscle activity.

Both tasks took longer for the dreamers to perform while asleep. The participants took around 30 per cent longer to count and 50 per cent longer to walk in their dreams than they did while they were awake. The findings were presented at the 2010 annual conference of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity in Tuscon, Arizona.

"There may be a cognitive slowing in the simulated dream world," says Erlacher. "It's the opposite of what happens in Inception."

To read the article in full follow the link in the title.

The nightmare that is arranging a wedding!

Take it from me, I've been there, done that, I just didn't get the t-shirt (or should I say go through with it).  Weddings are a familial nightmare.  If there is a pointless argument to be had, arranging your wedding will surely bring it out.

What is the most common argument I have experienced first, second and third hand?  Who gets a say in the guest list.

Let's break it down for those who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing this particular hell.

You as the son or daughter, are getting married.  You're the Bride/Groom.

Your parents, offer to give you X amount of £'s/$'s/€'s towards paying for your big day.  GREAT!

All is going swimmingly as you as the bride, go on shopping trips with the mother/mother in law and bridesmaids for outfits, stationery, table decorations, flowers, candles, blah blah blah.  The groom goes for beers with his father/father in law, the best man and anyone else who needs an excuse to spend a night in the pub.

Then it happens, normally over a nice relaxing Sunday roast.  The "I think we should invite your second cousin twice removed" conversation.  Oh and this is coming from your parents, not your partner.

Suddenly, everyone has got an opinion and it all boils down to the phase "In our day....", normally being spouted by your mother.  Yes this is hell, and yes I did warn you that this is where you would end up.

The reasoning behind everyone's sides of the argument usually goes as follows:

Bride:  It's my day and if I want/do not want someone there then that should be the way it is.

Groom:  I don't really care but my future wife does.  I don't really want to start married life off with a 6 month dose of the silent treatment and I definitely don't want and ban on sex between now and then.

Mother:  We are paying money towards this wedding.  It is an excuse for us to show off to all our friends, relatives and anyone else we so wish.  We WILL invite who we god damn want and you'll like it.

Father:  Whatever your mother says.

So, that's the long and the short of it.

There is only one way to avoid this conversation (to my knowledge) and that is.....

PAY FOR THE WEDDING YOURSELF!  Something I strongly advise.

Ginger cupcakes with lemon cream cheese topping...

Yep, I did some baking this weekend and here are some pictures to prove it.

I'm so domesticated!

Prior to adding topping...

With topping.... (notice one is already missing, whoops)

Oh and here is the recipe should anyone want to try making their own version:

Ingredients - Serves: 12

• 75g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 125ml treacle
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 150g plain flour
• 1 tablespoon best quality cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 125ml hot milk
• Icing: I made extra of this!
• 25g unsalted butter, softened
• 50g cream cheese, softened
• 80g sifted icing sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Preparation method

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 20 mins | Extra time

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4. Butter or line a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. Cream 75g butter with the caster sugar. Add the treacle and the egg and egg 
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the hot milk. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the hot milk mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared 
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until slightly springy to the touch. Allow to cool a few minutes in the tin and remove to a rack to cool.
5. To make the icing: Cream the butter and the cream cheese together. Beat in the sifted icing sugar until fluffy. Add the lemon extract and beat. When the fairy cakes are cool, ice the tops with the icing and serve.

Only four degrees of separation, says Facebook

A recent article in One Per Cent indicates that we are only 4 degrees of separation away from any other person raising the question; Has social media made the world a smaller place?

Below is an extract but click the link in the title for the full story.

“We are all a lot closer to Kevin Bacon than we thought.

A few months ago, we reported that a Yahoo team planned to test the six degrees of separation theory on Facebook. Now, Facebook's own data team has beat them to the punch, proving that most Facebook users are only separated by four degrees."

"To test the six degrees theory, the Facebook researchers systematically tested how many friend connections they needed to link any two users. Globally, they found a sharp peak at five hops, meaning that most pairs of Facebook users could be connected through four intermediate people also on Facebook (92 per cent). Paths were even shorter within a single country, typically involving only three other people, even in large countries such as the US."

Some TV shows to watch out for...

Ringer - Watch on line or on Sky Living - 4.5 stars out of 5 from me

I'm loving this series.  I'm currently up to series 1 episode 9 and totally addicted.  There are so many twists and turns in the storyline it's impossible to predict what's going to happen.

The story is based around Bridget, a bit of a loser/drug addict who witnessed a murder and is now on the run from having to give evidence against a mob leader.  Bridget has a twin sister, Siobhan, who she runs to for help.  From here the story unfolds.

The acting is solid, not fantastic (it is Sarah Michelle Gellar after all) and the production is good.

I can definitely recommend watching this (unless you don't want to get into yet another show that you have to watch week in, week out without fail!)

Revenge - Watch on line as only showing in the US on ABC currently - 4.5 stars from me

I only found this series yesterday so I'm only up to series 1 episode 3, however, I'm really enjoying it.  Much like Ringer, the plot is full of twists and turns as the viewer follows the story of Amanda/Emily and her quest for revenge on the residents of New York states, Hamptons after they individually played roles in the downfall of her late father.

I would definitely recommend this show so far.  It's also quite addictive watching.  You have been warned!

More movies I've seen recently...

The Resident - 91 mins - 3 out of 5 stars

Hilary Swank plays an ER doctor who has recently broken up from her long term boyfriend and moves into a "too good to be true" apartment in New York.

It's too good to be true because Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character is a mentalist, and her landlord.

The storyline has a lot of potential but as usual in this kind of movie, the lead female makes endless amounts of stupid decisions and you find yourself rolling your eyes at her stupidity.  For example, when being chased by a psycho do you a) run for nearest exit or b) wedge yourself into the smallest crawl space possible so he can drag you back out by your feet?

This genre just isn't for me I guess.  As good as any movie in the obvious thriller genre can be.

Up in the Air - 109 mins - 3.5 stars from me

It's a George Clooney movie.

Considering one website I came across named this the number 1 movie of 2009, I was expecting it to be a lot better.

The storyline isn't bad, the acting is okay, but all in all I would rate this movie as just above average, at best.

The Change Up - 112 mins - 4 out of 5 stars

This movie is stupid.  I LOVED IT!

Admittedly I have a weak spot for Jason Bateman (I'm yet to see him do anything bad) but I found this film really entertaining.

If you have kids, you can relate.  If you know people who have kids, you can relate.  The storyline is adventurous but it works.  I definitely recommend finding the time to see this movie, even if it's just once it comes out on DVD.

My baby bourgie

It's alive! (and has new leaves!). I'm so proud. First time I've ever taken a cutting of any plant, and it hasn't died!
Even more impressed at the time it has taken to grow new leaves, only around 2 months (if that!)

Hallelujah moment in Sainsburys car park...

The building in the photo I took below is actually the local firestation. I know what you're thinking, it's either (somewhat ironically) on fire, or the second coming is occurring right behind it. Actually it is just a regular old sunset. Sorry to disappoint!

Tasty Olives!

My friend went to Borough Market, SE1 recently and brought back some of the best olives I have EVER tasted.

Green olives stuffed with garlic cloves and chilli.  AMAZING!

Get them from the Borough Olives stall.

Be sure to pay them a visit on your next trip to SE1.  Oh and here's a tip, buy more than one pot full!

REVEALED - The Capitalist Network that runs the World

"AS PROTESTS against financial power sweep the world this week, science may have confirmed the protesters' worst fears. An analysis of the relationships between 43,000 transnational corporations has identified a relatively small group of companies, mainly banks, with disproportionate power over the global economy.

The study's assumptions have attracted some criticism, but complex systems analysts contacted by New Scientist say it is a unique effort to untangle control in the global economy. Pushing the analysis further, they say, could help to identify ways of making global capitalism more stable.

The idea that a few bankers control a large chunk of the global economy might not seem like news to New York's Occupy Wall Street movement and protesters elsewhere. But the study, by a trio of complex systems theorists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, is the first to go beyond ideology to empirically identify such a network of power. It combines the mathematics long used to model natural systems with comprehensive corporate data to map ownership among the world's transnational corporations (TNCs).

"Reality is so complex, we must move away from dogma, whether it's conspiracy theories or free-market," says James Glattfelder. "Our analysis is reality-based."

Previous studies have found that a few TNCs own large chunks of the world's economy, but they included only a limited number of companies and omitted indirect ownerships, so could not say how this affected the global economy - whether it made it more or less stable, for instance.

The Zurich team can. From Orbis 2007, a database listing 37 million companies and investors worldwide, they pulled out all 43,060 TNCs and the share ownerships linking them. Then they constructed a model of which companies controlled others through shareholding networks, coupled with each company's operating revenues, to map the structure of economic power.

The work, to be published in PLoS One, revealed a core of 1318 companies with interlocking ownerships (see image). Each of the 1318 had ties to two or more other companies, and on average they were connected to 20. What's more, although they represented 20 per cent of global operating revenues, the 1318 appeared to collectively own through their shares the majority of the world's large blue chip and manufacturing firms - the "real" economy - representing a further 60 per cent of global revenues.

When the team further untangled the web of ownership, it found much of it tracked back to a "super-entity" of 147 even more tightly knit companies - all of their ownership was held by other members of the super-entity - that controlled 40 per cent of the total wealth in the network. "In effect, less than 1 per cent of the companies were able to control 40 per cent of the entire network," says Glattfelder. Most were financial institutions. The top 20 included Barclays Bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co, and The Goldman Sachs Group."

The top 50 of the 147 superconnected companies

1. Barclays plc
2. Capital Group Companies Inc
3. FMR Corporation
4. AXA
5. State Street Corporation
6. JP Morgan Chase & Co
7. Legal & General Group plc
8. Vanguard Group Inc
9. UBS AG
10. Merrill Lynch & Co Inc
11. Wellington Management Co LLP
12. Deutsche Bank AG
13. Franklin Resources Inc
14. Credit Suisse Group
15. Walton Enterprises LLC
16. Bank of New York Mellon Corp
17. Natixis
18. Goldman Sachs Group Inc
19. T Rowe Price Group Inc
20. Legg Mason Inc
21. Morgan Stanley
22. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc
23. Northern Trust Corporation
24. Société Générale
25. Bank of America Corporation
26. Lloyds TSB Group plc
27. Invesco plc
28. Allianz SE 29. TIAA
30. Old Mutual Public Limited Company
31. Aviva plc
32. Schroders plc
33. Dodge & Cox
34. Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc*
35. Sun Life Financial Inc
36. Standard Life plc
37. CNCE
38. Nomura Holdings Inc
39. The Depository Trust Company
40. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance
41. ING Groep NV
42. Brandes Investment Partners LP
43. Unicredito Italiano SPA
44. Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan
45. Vereniging Aegon
46. BNP Paribas
47. Affiliated Managers Group Inc
48. Resona Holdings Inc
49. Capital Group International Inc
50. China Petrochemical Group Company

* Lehman still existed in the 2007 dataset used

To read the article in full click the link in the title.

Malaria caught on camera breaking and entering cell - New Scientist

"The video above captures the moment when a malaria parasite invades a human red blood cell - the first time the event has been caught in high resolution.

The Plasmodium parasite responsible for malaria is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes, and is thought to kill almost 1 million people worldwide each year.

Jake Baum at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues used transmission electron microscopy, immuno-fluorescence and 3D super-resolution microscopy to record thousands of high-definition images of separate invasion events, a process that takes less than 30 seconds."

Follow the link in the title to read the rest of the article.

Some movies I've seen recently... and a confession

I've seen quite a few movies recently (don't ask me where I've found the time!) and I thought I'd let you know what I thought of them so you can either watch them yourself knowing you're not wasting 90-110 minutes of your life, or not!

Crazy Stupid Love - 118 minutes - 3.5 stars from me

An okay romcom.  I've seen A LOT of films from this genre and this one isn't all bad.  Ryan Gosling is pretty buff in it, so as a girl it's worth watching for the scene where he takes his shirt off alone ;o)
I doubt this would be one for the guys, unless you happen to be a huge Steve Carell fan or you're in love with Emma Stone (I won't judge!).

Bad Teacher - 92 mins - 3 stars at most from me

This is a very average Cameron Diaz movie.  Then again most Cameron Diaz movies are very average.  Things that make this movie worth watching are:  Cameron Diaz' eyes (how are they so blue?!), her amazing figure, and the fact that Justin Timberlake is fast becoming a pretty decent actor.  Only a few LOL moments for me but wasn't all bad.

Monte Carlo - 109 mins - 2.5 stars from me

Seriously chick flicky!  Seriously American.  I don't have much to say about this movie as I think we've all seen it at least 10 times just with different actors and a different title.  It didn't make me vomit but it was incredibly predictable in the way all chick flicks are.

Friends with Benefits - 109 mins - 4 stars from me

I actually quite liked this movie.  I think it's because I'm becoming a closet fan of Justin Timberlake's acting skills (and the fact that you get to see him with few clothes on helps).  Mila Kunis isn't bad in this movie.  The only thing that slightly lets the movie down is the ending.  It's predictable (again in the way that romcoms tend to be) but also it could've been done a lot better.  There were some genuine LOL moments and it gave me a warm feeling inside, the way a decent romcom should.  I'd watch this again, so I'll probably end up buying it on DVD when it comes out and adding it to my shameful collection of romantic comedies.

No Strings Attached - 108 mins - 4.5 stars

I really am starting to like Natalie Portman and I am already so in love with Ashton Kutcher (I'd be smitten if he wasn't married to Demi Moore but hey-ho!).  This movie totally had me.  I was LOL'ing and I think there was even a tear towards the end (yes I am a complete sap when it comes to these movies). I AM definitely adding this to my DVD collection and I will probably go as far as to say, I will be watching this again in the near future.

That's it for now.  If you haven't guessed already, I am a complete closet romcom fan.  I have no idea what it is about these pathetic movies that makes me have to watch every one ever made by (or spewed out of) hollywood.  It is my guilty pleasure and I make no apologies for it.

As snow boots go, these are EPIC!

Timberland Earthkeepers Mount Holly Tall Lace Duck Boot

New design for winter

It seems like only yesterday that I was changing the layout of L&TAP for summer!  Now here we are with the new winter layout already.

Hope you like it.  I was inspired by the upcoming Guy Fawkes night on 5th November.  Remember to be safe!  Keep children away from fireworks, keep animals in the warm away from loud noises and NEVER return to a firework that appears to have gone out.  That's about all the warnings I remember from school.  Feel free to add your own.

Happy winter everyone!  Stay warm :o) xx

What's Your Number?

Ah man! They made a film about my life and I didn't get to pick who played me! Lol

Seriously though, I saw this movie at the weekend and in parts, it's scarily like my life. I haven't yet reached the stage where I'm desperately tracking down all my ex boyfriends in the hope they've changed sufficiently for me to want to spend a minute longer dating them. Is that something I should be doing?! Hopefully not, especially not in order to find a long term relationship anyway. I am all in favour of saving the planet however, so I do agree with recycling where possible/necessary ;o)

Charlie teh unicorn - Episode 2

Yeaaah Spring Break! Episode 2 and it rocks. Fact.

Llamas with Hats 4

Episode 4 and yes it's amazing. I love Llamas with Hats. It's too funny for words!

Damn you auto correct

Great website.  I love reading these auto correct messages.  Here are a few of my favs but follow the link in the title to the damnyouautocorrect site :o)

Pill helps women pick faithful mates, not sexy ones

"Women who are on the pill when they pick a mate end up with longer-lasting relationships than those who are not. The downside? Less satisfaction in the sack, apparently.

Studies show that women on the pill are attracted to different men than when they are not on the pill. One explanation is that because the pill simulates pregnancy, women tend to head for traits associated with fidelity.

Now the effects of these choices have been tested for the first time outside the lab. Craig Roberts from the University of Stirling, UK, and colleagues surveyed 1000 women who had been taking the pill when they met their partner and 1500 who were not. All of the women had at least one child with this partner.

The team measured the women's levels of sexual and general relationship satisfaction, as well as how long the relationship lasted.

Women on the pill when they met their partner were significantly less sexually satisfied, but reported higher levels of general satisfaction in the relationship, such as financial support and partner loyalty. They were also more likely to stay together.

During fertile cycle phases, women seek out traits such as masculine faces, which are associated with good genes but also infidelity. Because women on the pill don't have such hormone shifts they may be more sensitive to traits which lead to longer relationships, says Roberts."

For once I have to say, this is utter cr*p. I can count on one hand the amount of guys I have dated in 12 years of being on the pill who have remained faithful. Yes that's a sad statistic but nevertheless it is a statistic that (in my case at least) disproves this piece of "science". I am not attracted to traits associated with fidelity, clearly!

Maybe I should attempt coming off the pill in order to meet a man who isn't likely to be unfaithful?

Pill helps women pick faithful mates, not sexy ones - health - 12 October 2011 - New Scientist

Llamas with Hats 3

For your viewing pleasure.... Episode 3. Enjoy!

Flight Facilities - Crave you Feat. Giselle [Official Video]

This song featured on last nights Made in Chelsea. Here it is in full for your enjoyment....

There's something very Belleruche about it so I guess that explains why I like it :o)

Jodie Marie - On The Road (Live session)

Discovered Jodie Marie after hearing she was playing with Nerina Pallot at the SB Empire next month.

She is an awesome talent! I wish I could sing half as well as her.

I love everything about this song. Listen to it here and let me know what you think.

Subscribe to Jodie's youtube channel by clicking the title above, you know the rest :o)

Nerina Pallot - The A Team - (Ed Sheeran Cover)

Beautiful cover by Nerina. Definitely still one of my favourite female artists.

charlie teh unicron episode 1

This is not to be confused with Charlie the Unicorn. It's much more amusing!

"Your face is uncalled for"

Llamas with Hats 2

Time for more Llamas with Hats. Enjoy episode 2!

They Be Crazy

One of the best quotes of all time from the mail carrier...

Llamas with Hats - 1

If you have never seen this then you're missing out. AMAZING!!!!

Carrrrrrllllllll!

Beyonce - single ladies dance video parody with Justin Timberlake

So funny!

Evaway - Trip planning made easy!

I recently started using the site above to plan my ideal road trip across the US and it's pretty good.  You can have a look at the plan on the new L&TAP page above "My US & Canada Road Trip Plan...".

The pros:

• The journey times appear quite accurate
• You can measure journeys using a number of different travel options i.e. on foot, by car, by plane etc
• Most cities are listed.  If not you add it.

The cons:

• A lot of the information on places is in French as it's a French/US site.  Don't worry too much however you can still see the sight in English and if you want tourist information you can use a tour guide.  You're mostly using this site to plan your trip timewise, and for that it's seems to do the job

I'll let you know how well it works once I get to actually take my trip.  From what I've read so far elsewhere it appears as accurate as any travel agent or booking company who want to plan my road trip for me and have me pay them a couple of hundred pounds for the work!

Share a kiss with an intimate phone

Article featured on New Scientist website: Sounds a bit creepy to me!

"Ever wished your phone was a little more... intimate? Fabian Hemmert, a design researcher at the Berlin University of the Arts, Germany, certainly does. "Mobile phones use so little of our sensory abilities," he says. "They are great for information exchange - text, video, and speech - but they provide no feeling of nearness." That's why Hemmert has developed a series of phone prototypes that can transmit grasping, breathing or even kissing, which he presented last week at the Mobile HCI conference in Stockholm, Sweden."

"Perhaps the most extreme prototype is the kissing phone, which consists of a moisture sensor on the sender's phone and a motorised wet sponge that pushes against a semi-permeable membrane on the receiver's phone. The extent to which the sponge moves depends on the wetness of the sender's kiss, letting you distinguish between a peck on the cheek and a full-on slobber."

Do all dogs do this? I think so!

What's so bad about Joe?

Riley- What's so bad about Joe?  I think he's kinda cute.
Ben - Well, Joe is Sarah's Mindbanger.
Aaron - Ok, I'll bite.  What's a "Mindbanger"?
Ben - It's that one person who gets into your head and takes over your mind.  And once you're dating that person you forget who you are, and all the things you care about, and all that matters is sustaining your dysfunctional relationship.
Aaron - Gina Baker
Riley - Adam Foster....

That's the dialogue taken from a scene of the new US TV show, Friends with Benefits.  It's a good show but this dialogue is one that I found especially amusing because it's soooo true.  Well at least for me.  I thought I would share it on here as part of a social test that I will call "So tell me, who is your Mindbanger?"

I'll start... Luis Correa d'Almeida

Click the title to go to the NBC website and read more about the show.

Classic comments - Part 1

Working in a pub, as I do, I get to overhear and sometimes be a part of some of, the funniest conversations.  These posts are my way of sharing the funnier side of serving drunk people alcohol.


More than middle aged man - "If you want to get up to your eyes in wh*res, then come with us now!"
Younger man - "I would but I've got work in the morning."


Woman - "Yeah so the t-shirts I got were on buy one, get one free.  Yeah couldn't believe it, buy one, get one free!"
Man - "Great."
Woman - "Yeah so I got one, and got the other half price."

Fat America. No wonder!

Have you ever wondered why when you visit America they have fat people that make our lardies look postively anorexic?  Well wonder no more.  Men's Health (the US edition obviously) recently published an article listing the 20 worst Foods in America: 2011.  I've selected a few that simply left me open mouthed and feeling ever so slightly sick at the thought of consuming that many calories in one hit.  Enjoy (or not!).

Worst Pizza

Uno Chicago Grill Classic Deep Dish Pizza (individual size)

2,310 calories
165 g fat (54 g saturated)

4,920 mg soidum 

In all the years we’ve been putting this list together, this pizza from Uno’s is the only item to never budge from the hyper-caloric countdown. While a number of burgers, salads, and pastas battle it out for the dubious distinction of being America’s worst, there is simply no competition for this nightmarish creation. With a day’s worth of calories, more than 2 days’ worth of sodium, and nearly 3 days’ worth of fat, bread, cheese, and sauce have never been stretched to such extremes.

3 days worth of fat in one pizza!

Worst Drink

Cold Stone Creamery PB&C Shake (Gotta Have It size, 24 fl oz)

2,030 calories

131 g fat (68 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)

153 g sugars

A couple years ago, Baskin-­Robbins’ milk shake line could have easily claimed the top five worst drinks in America, but when it decided to reel in some of the caloric excesses, Cold Stone’s PB&C was left exposed as the biggest bully on the block. And the damage is severe: This blended peanut-butter-cup concoction makes it possible to slurp down a day’s worth of energy with a mere 10-minute straw session. We hope Cold Stone decides to follow Baskins’ lead and downsize this atrocity, but if not, we’re happy to keep doling out the negative publicity.

An adult females entire calorie allowance in one drink!

Worst Kids' Meal

California Pizza Kitchen Kids Curly Mac 'n' Cheese

1,038 calories
38 g saturated fat
1,651 mg sodium

Pasta robed in melted cheese will never pass muster with the nutritionist set; nevertheless, there are some versions out there you can feel good about feeding your kid. Bob Evans, TGI Friday’s, and even Burger King all serve reasonable versions of the kiddie staple. CPK decidedly does not. This bowl represents about 70 percent of the calories the average 6-year-old should consume in a day. What’s worse, it delivers as much saturated fat as an adult should consume over the course of 48 hours. Good news is you can dissuade them from ordering the mac by suggesting the pizza instead. We doubt they’ll object.

What responsible parent would feed a child over 1k calories in one meal?

Worst Salad

TGI Friday's Santa Fe Chopped Salad

1,800 calories

Rumor has it that Hollywood elite turn to the Friday’s salad section when it comes time to gain weight for onscreen roles. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but get too cozy with these leaves and you can expect some dire repercussions. The average entrée-size salad packs a walloping 1,216 calories, making it one of the most dangerous sections of an already-disastrous menu. It comes as no surprise that the Santa Fe emerges as the worst of this sad heap; Mexican- or Southwestern-themed salads—with their abundance of shredded cheese, greasy proteins, and tortilla chips—are the worst species of salad. If those are the flavors you’re after, why not a crunchy taco from Taco Bell? You could have a dozen for the same caloric cost.

Isn't salad supposed to be the healthy option?

The Worst Food in America

Cheesecake Factory Bistro Shrimp Pasta

2,727 calories
78 g saturated fat
1,737 mg sodium

The troubling truth is this entire list of America’s Worst Foods could be fueled solely by the Cheesecake Factory’s atrocious fare. No restaurant combines elephantine portion sizes with a heavy-handed application of cheap cooking fats more recklessly than the Factory folk, resulting in dishes like the 2,582-calorie Chicken and Biscuits and the 2,455-calorie French Toast Napoleon. But it’s a relatively healthy-sounding plate of shrimp pasta that wears the tainted crown, delivering to your bloodstream more saturated fat than you’d find in three packages of Oscar Mayer Center Cut Bacon and as many carbs as you’d slurp down from 1½ cases of Amstel Light. Gross

Cheesecake Factory Shrimp Pasta - Killer Shrimp!

Toxic antibodies blitz tumours

"On 19 August, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the company's lead therapy, an antibody engineered to deliver a poisonous payload directly into lymphoma cells. The hope is that such antibodies, called antibody–drug conjugates, will sidestep the punishing toxicities of classical chemotherapies, which run loose in the bloodstream and kill healthy cells in addition to their targets."

"Seek and Destroy" -Functionality of antibody-drug conjugates as described in the article by Heidi Ledford. "Their power comes from their payloads: lethal drugs tethered to the antibody that remain harmless until the conjugate releases them inside cancer cells" 


"In July, an FDA advisory committee voted unanimously in support of accelerated approval for Adcetris after Seattle Genetics reported that 94% of the 102 people with Hodgkin's lymphoma in a trial of the treatment saw their tumours shrink, and 73% achieved partial or complete remission."


Extracts from the article "Toxic antibodies blitz tumours".  Published online 22 August 2011.  Nature.com.  To read the full article click the link in the title or use:
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110822/full/476380a.html

3-Way (The Golden Rule) (feat. Justin Timberlake & Lady Gaga)

Absolutely hilarious! Love The Lonely Island. Click the title for a link to their website (and even more tracks).

Warning - This video should probably not be viewed by those under the age of 15 (if not older) as it contains explicit lyrics. L&TAP accepts no responsibility for any offence caused by this video.

Marley & Me Movie Trailer

I spent 3 years at least building myself up to watch this movie. We've all heard how sad it is, especially for someone so crazy in love with their pet dog as I am with Indiana.

Well I'm not going to lie. Yes this movie is sad. Yes I cried like a baby, and yes it took me nearly an hour to compose myself afterwards and another 2 days to stop cuddling Indie every time he came near me (much to his disgust I'm sure!). Putting all that aside, Marley and Me was one of the best movies I have seen this year.

It may be a bit girlie but if you love dogs (even half as much as I do) then there is nothing not to love about this film.

I literally laughed out loud at clearance puppies antics, as they reminded me so much of those of my own clearance puppy.

In short, if you think you can cope with the fact that you WILL cry after watching this film then it really is a must see. I cannot recommend it enough and only wish I had seen it sooner myself so I could have even more time to watch it again and again as I am now sure to do.

The waking nightmare of sleep paralysis

I just came across this article written by Chris French and published in the Guardian in 2009.

I have recently discovered sleep paralysis as a condition and it has put an end to my constant wondering about the weird kind of dreams I have and how messed up my head must be!  

In a way it's a relief to know I'm almost normal in the sense of having such a condition but as this account from a fellow sufferer illustrates, I am far from comfortable going to sleep at night with exactly the same experiences possibly awaiting me as Ms Ball.

...This is illustrated by an account from Lori Ball, a healthy 53-year-old woman from Ohio who is not only well-informed about sleep paralysis but is actually cognisant of what is happening to her while it's happening: "I try to scream (though I have great difficulty making any sound), attempt to flail around, anything, to get the attention of my husband. It is a feeling of panic, entrapment and desperation so horrifying that I have difficulty describing its magnitude.

"If my spouse notices my discomfort and responds, in my mind it's never soon enough. One cannot simply tell me to 'wake up' and tap me on the arm. Often I need to be shaken somewhat to be fully present. At that point I wouldn't care if he slapped me hard as the terror of being in that paralysed state, totally helpless, is overwhelming. Knowing that it will end eventually is of no comfort. Every second is hell."

To see the article in full please click the link in the post title.

The end of ageing: Why life begins at 90

The end of ageing: Why life begins at 90 - health - 10 August 2011 - New Scientist

Live long enough and your body stops ageing – so can we learn to stop the clock before our twilight years?

Existence: Is there more than one me?

Existence: Is there more than one me? - space - 02 August 2011 - New Scientist

"FAR, far away, in a galaxy with a remarkable resemblance to the Milky Way, is a star that looks remarkably like the sun. And on the star's third planet, which looks like a twin of the Earth, lives someone who, for all the world, is you. Not only do they look the same as you and lead an identical life, they are reading this exact same article - in fact, they are focused on this very line."


This is a really thought provoking article for me. I've always been interested in the theory of multiverses. I can definitely see how it could be possible, taking into account the laws of quantum mechanics.  However I always come back to asking the same question. "If there is an infinite number of universes or 'bubbles' out there and, in each one is another version of me playing out every possible outcome of every decision I make, resulting in an infinite number of histories. How come one of those versions of me hasn't yet proved multiverse theory and found a way to convey this to the other infinite numbers of me out there, including me?". Do you see my point?! ;o)

Sucker Punch - Official Trailer 2 [HD]

For anyone interested in the movie itself, here is the official trailer.

Emiliana Torrini - White Rabbit (Sucker Punch VA)

The soundtrack to this movie is actually pretty good. The movie itself is slightly more questionable, however there are some classic lines from Scott Glenn playing the "Wiseman" such as "Don't write any cheques with your mouths that your ass can't cover..." and "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything".

Here's Emiliana Torrini performing the Jefferson Airplane classic - White Rabbit from the OST.

There are also great tracks from Emily Browning (the actress who plays Baby Doll in the movie itself) covering The Smiths and The Pixies.

Two And A Half Men Charlie quits Drinking

Brilliant!

Dexter Season 6 Tease

Quite possibly one of the best shows on TV. Can't wait for season 6. Does it all end here? That's the question...

Earth's time bombs may have killed the dinosaurs - environment - 27 July 2011 - New Scientist

Earth's time bombs may have killed the dinosaurs - environment - 27 July 2011 - New Scientist

THE fate of the dinosaurs may have been sealed half a billion years before life even appeared, by two geological time bombs that still lurk near our planet's core.

Interesting article from New Scientist. Click the link to read.

Superbugs may be here to stay - health - 29 July 2011 - New Scientist

Superbugs may be here to stay - health - 29 July 2011 - New Scientist

Click the link to read the article from New Scientist. Worrying reading.

Two and a half Men - The Drinking Helmet

Very funny scene from Season 8.

Restaurants in Uzès - Le Bec a Vin

Sorry I meant to write this post a while ago now but I've been a bit busy travelling and working so haven't gotten around to it until now.

The amount of restaurants in Uzès does not seem plentiful when you first arrive and stroll around the town, however, considering the size of the town there actually quite a few.  Finding one you think serves good food at an less than extortionate price is slightly more of a challenge!

Most restaurants in France are expensive, eating out in this country is not to be taken lightly!  However once you find a restaurant such as the one mentioned in my post about Troyes, then maybe you will be willing to forget about the price and just enjoy the fine dining experience and mouth watering cuisine.

Such a restaurant did indeed exist in Uzès.  The name was Le Bec a Vin.  The food was superb, the staff were attentive, friendly and extremely professional (most could even speak English to an excellent conversational level).  We ate in this restaurant twice and probably would have returned had we not found it so late on in our stay.  So for anyone going to spend some time in Uzès, be sure to visit Le Bec a Vin as soon as you can.

A note about where to sit... The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating.  The indoor restaurant can take 30 covers and outdoors is space for (supposedly) another 45.  With this in mind be sure to call in or telephone to make a reservation.  Drop ins are welcome but you may have to take a table indoors as the terrace fills up very fast, especially during the summer months.

The Indoor Restaurant at Le Bec a Vin

The Terrace at Le Bec a Vin

Here are the contact details:

Rue Entre les Tours
30700 UZES

Tél: +33 (0)4 66 22 41 20

E-Mail: becavin-uzes@hotmail.fr

Lisbon... a while ago

Just found a few photographs I took whilst in Lisbon a few years back.  Thought I'd share them with you now, better late than never :o)

A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover

Am really liking A Fine Frenzy at the moment :)

Yummeh wine

This is by far one of the nicest, affordable wines I have ever drunk. Shame it's almost impossible to come by in the UK :o(
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