I saw this while out at the weekend.

For years now I have been thinking that “Dr” Gillian McKeith and her claims are farcical. Now someone at the Guardian has provided me with evidence. While the message of “eat your greens” is reasonable her claims of being a doctor and the pseudo-science mumbo-jumbo she often spouts have always sounded a bit far fetched.

•  What’s wrong with Gillian McKeith [guardian.co.uk]

Becky, Dave and Rosie came round last night for pancakes. We negotiated my fairly small kitchen, which is fine for one person but gets crowded with four, and managed to produce a vast quantity of very yummy pancakes. My new shower was sutiably admired and it was agreed that I needed more furniture in my rather large living room. A nice, relaxed, evening.

Oh, and I also helped Sam get her network running. For those of a technical bent if you follow the Belkin instructions on setting up an ADSL router for use with AOL you can end up making a PPPoE connection from your PC, via the router, to AOL. This skips out all useful things that the router does. What you need to do is set up your router using some alternative instructions and then it will all work swimmingly.

• This bullet point for Rosie.

When I moved into the new flat I found that the shower head wasn’t all that good. It was mounted a bit too low on the wall and sent water out in comedy directions. While it was OK it wasn’t amazing so I asked the management company if I could get it changed. Unfortunately because the existing shower was quite old I had to get new mounting brackets and rails for the wall as well as a new head.

Last night, after borrowing some tools from Mike at work, I managed to drill into the tiles and fix the new shower to the wall. I am rather impressed with by DIY skills. I didn’t even break anything! Oh, and the shower this morning was so good.

For a number of years I have been helping a local cancer charity, Hope for Tomorrow, with their online systems.

Last week, on Valentine’s day, they launched Britain’s first mobile chemotherapy unit. Over £150,000 was raised by selling original art work, through charity fundraising events and corporate sponsorship.

Run by the oncology team from the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the unit will begin treating chemotherapy patients in Cirencester and Ross-on-Wye in March this year. It is hoped the unit will eventually travel further afield, bringing the life-saving treatment to patients throughout Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The Mercedes-Benz unit has a bespoke body designed and built by Conestoga and WHF Ltd, who build many of the Formula One hospitality units. It will be able to treat five people on board at any one time – up to 20 patients a day. It has been fitted with the latest technology to provide a hygienic, safe and comfortable environment for patients and staff.

Christine, who runs the charity, said: “This is a ground breaking project and our most ambitious to date. Along with Dr Sean Elyan we share the same vision for this unit. I feel I have done the easy part - it is the commitment to this project from the oncology team at the Trust that I think is incredible”.

Today is Pancake Day, where traditionally I stuff myself full of yummy pancakes.

The world’s biggest pancake was cooked in Rochdale in 1994, it was an amazing 15 metres in diameter, weighed three tonnes and had an estimated two million calories.

Some links to get you going:

• Blue Peter pancake recipe

Apart from the fact that the title of this film reminds me of Gavin, it was really really funny. Written by the guys who did Shaun of the Dead it included loads of British actors. I won’t give much away as half the fun for me was going ‘OOOOh, look it is them’. However it did have Bill Bailey in it as a copper which was great. Best line of the film:

“It’s alright Andy, it’s only bolognaise“

There was also one bit of the film where, in a packed audience, only I laughed. If you want to know what that bit was then drop me an email or comment. It was rather rude.

I really recommend you go and see Hot Fuzz, a great British film that makes our police look much cooler than the Americans.

Other films I want to see when they come out:

• Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End - due out in May
• Magicians - staring  David Michell and Robert Webb as magicians who try to put their career back on track after an on-stage accident cuts a woman’s head off.
• The Illusionist - Quite a dark plot based on the trailer of a magician who uses his powers of illusion to win the lady he has fallen in love with, who happens to be engaged to the Crown Prince, causing political ramifications.

A Simpsons movie is also coming out soon and there is going to be another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie - although I am not sure I want to go and see that.

My new flat has quite a good view from the bedroom.

(more…)

mir·ror, n. 1. A surface capable of reflecting sufficient undiffused light to form an image of an object placed in front of it. Also called looking glass.

I don’t have a mirror in my new flat yet. I didn’t realise how much I actually use a mirror until one isn’t there. This was pointed out to me yesterday when I got into work and my friend Matt said to me, “you are looking quite disheveled today”.

Talking of things not being there, Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner is amazing. There is now no grease or burnt things on the oven in the old flat.