This is an interesting video regarding colour blindness and the impact it can have on video gamers. Personally I aware of the issues as my husband is colour blind, however, it seems many people have trouble distinguishing between different colours on screen. Whilst I can only imagine, how this can affect daily life, with video games opposing terms are often distinguished by using colour. This in many cases can lead to a colour blind gamer shooting his team mates by mistake because he cannot see the difference between the red and green labels for example. Some games appear to be moving to correct the problem by giving their games a colour blind friendly option but it would be good to see this more widely available amongst the popular game titles.

As someone who is terrified of spiders, for me this is something out of a nightmare. It is the largest ever spider fossil ever found. Thought be around 165 million years old the spider would have had a six inch leg span. The fossil was a Golden Orb Weaver spider named Nephila jurassica and would have lived in the forests of northern China. The spiders still thrive today and it is common for them to reach a length of two inches and a leg span of six inches. Eeek.

Jesus appears in some odd places with one of the more recent being discovered on a sock. James Henderson was surprised to find this image of Jesus on his sock after spilling bleach on it. Naturally he was astonished to find such clear likeness and is now keeping the sock as he feels it would be disrespectful to throw it away.

Personally I wait for the first sign of sun and feel it’s time to get the BBQ out. It’s just really nice to be able to eat in the garden in the fresh air. It never fails to amaze me, however, how many people fail to do a BBQ correctly. I have been to many where the food is blackened and over done or the other extreme where it is crispy on the outside and raw in the middle and at best if the food is cooked it is often very bland. If you struggle with any of these issues then this article might be worth a read. The trick is to get the BBQ really hot, at the point where the coals are grey before adding any meat. Marinade any meat such as chicken overnight if possible to give it extra flavour and baste it whilst cooking. Burgers and sausages do not need to be black before they are done, in fact they need very little cooking time, just cut into the middle and check they are no longer pink. My personal favourite so far this year has been grilled prawn skewers but watch this space there is still plenty of the summer left.

According to this article insurance costs have shot up by 40% in the past 12 months. Perhaps, then I shouldn’t have been surprised when receiving my car insurance renewal, the quote was double what I am currently paying. It seems the average annual premium for a comprehensive car policy is now in the region of £892, not far off the £809 my insurer has quoted me for my 1.6 Ford Focus. Still, it seems a little steep and shopping around rather than just renewing with the same company I finally fixed on a annual premium of around half that amount, coming it at just £417. It will probably mean I will to switch again in a years time as it seems these cheaper deals are only available for new customers, but I think I would rather do than pay double the amount for the service.

This is interesting it’s an iPhone app that looks at a picture of food and calculates how many calories you have consumed. According to the article you take a picture of your meal with your iPhone and the app then gives you a calorie reading almost instantly. Called MealSnap it has been developed by a fitness social network called DailyBurn. It works by matching the meal to it’s database of around 500,000 food items. It also provides information on the protein, fat, carbs and vitamins in the food. It’s an interesting idea and one which I’m sure would be useful to those following a calories controlled diet.

That’s according to this article which suggests ministers are considering scrapping them in order to try and cut down on food waste. Under the plans “sell by” labels and “display until” labels would also be scrapped. Instead products would only contain a “use by” date which tells you when the food is no longer safe to eat. Products such as fish, prawn and eggs may still carry special warnings are they are more at risk of food poisoning. Research by Morrisons has found that 55% of people throw away food that is past its best before date, even though it is still safe to eat and the waste-reduction organisation (Wrap) estimates we throw out five million tons of edible food a year . Personally I tend to use the best before date as a guide only, a more reliable test is to use a Willow (my cat). If she doesn’t eat the food then it is no longer good.

According to this article the number of penguins has halved in the 30 years. The problem is that climate change has been responsible for a decline in the the number of krill, the penguins main source of food. The huge reduction in numbers of the penguins main prey appears to be having a direct affect on the numbers of penguins. Krill density has dropped by as much as 80% due to rising temperatures and increased competition from marine mammals. It was previously thought that melting sea ice was behind the decline in the penguin populations, however, the new evidence reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests it is mainly due to krill loss.

These interesting looking shoes have been created by fashion student Lisa Dillion out of a stale cheese sandwich. The heels are sculpted from a block of cheese whilst a stale sandwich is used as part of the sole. The front of the shoe is also moulded from cheddar and extra cheese has been melted to make the decorations.

If you want to learn to be mermaid then you might be interested in this article. It looks at a course being offered by a Florida waterpark which gives people the chance to do just that. Budding mermaids will be able to put on a tail and will be put through basic training exercises including underwater acrobatics. It’s and interesting idea, but not something that really grabs me.

Is a website that allows users to name their own price for a date. Users are divided into two categories “generous” members who offer money for a date and “attractive” members who can accept or decline the offer. Whilst both men and women can join on either side this article points out that the majority of “attractive” users are women and most “generous” users are men. The “generous” users tend to pay between $20 and $100 for a date with users being able to haggle over the price. Users can see the other persons personal profile and pictures at all times, however, they are only able to have their conversation unlocked once a price has been agreed so a date can be arranged. The “generous” member then pays a percentage of the final price to the website and pays the rest of the price in person when they meet their date. It’s an interesting idea although it does seem a little mercenary dating people for money.

According to this article a network of green corridors or ”bee roads” is planned to try and help boost the insect population. Under the scheme wild flowers will be replanted alongside roadsides, fields and houses to create green corridors where insects can feed and move around the country more easily. The article claims that the UK has lost more than 3 million hectares of wildflower habitat since the Second World War, leaving insects with nowhere to feed. Gardens are often not rich enough in native nectar rich flowers. The loss in habitat has had an impact on the numbers of hoverflies, bees and butterflies causing many species to decline. The Co-operative supermarket is recreating areas of wild flowers and nectar rich plants such as lesser knapweed, field scabious and birdsfoot trefoil. These will be planted anywhere from parks to playing fields with farmers and other landowners being asked to sow wildflowers as well. It is hoped that they will eventually stretch north to south and east to west across Yorkshire, restoring a total of five hectares in the £60,000 pilot project. Ultimately it is hoped to roll the project out across the whole country allowing insects to thrive and reducing decline. It seems like a really good idea. Personally I have left a number of wild areas in my garden where I encourage the wildflowers to grow. Not only are they very pretty but I have an abundance of bees, hoverflies and butterflies in the garden.

We have spent a couple of days at the allotment now and as you can see by the picture we have managed to clear most of the brambles. We can now walk on the plot which is an improvement and the really hard work of clearing the roots and double digging the soil has started. I am, however, encouraged by the progress we have made so far and hope to have something growing in it within a few weeks.

I had a few aubergines that needed using up so decided to make a moussaka. The dish took quite a long time to prepare so is not something I will be making on a regular basis but the end result was really tasty. This one was made from a Delia recipe. Basically you need to slice a couple of aubergines into thin rounds, cover these with salt and leave them to sit for about 30 minutes. In the meantime fry one onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Add your mince and fry until brown, moussaka is usually made with lamb mince, but I used beef mince for this one. Add a cup of red wine, 2 spoons of tomato puree, a teaspoon of cinnamon and oregano and seasoning. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid is gone. Then in another frying pan, fry the aubergines in batches in a little olive oil until they are golden brown. Drain them on kitchen paper to remove some of the oil. Then arrange some aubergines in your dish and put a layer of mince on top. Keep putting alternate layers of mince mixture and aubergines until you have run out of mixture. The topping is made from a white sauce and egg. Melt a couple of spoons of butter in a pan, add flour and gradually add a pint of milk, seasoning and a bit of nutmeg. Add about a cup of shredded cheese and keep stirring until it thickens. Take off the heat and cool the mixture. Whisk in 2 eggs and pour over top of your mince and aubergines. The cook in the oven for about an hour on 180. In all this took a good 2 hours to prepare and another hour to cook.

New research which has been carried out by Stuart Young Consulting has questioned the efficiency of wind farms finding they are less efficient than previously claimed. The report claims that wind farms produce just 10% of capacity for more than a third of the time. It also suggests that output is lowest during the times of peak demand. Based on it’s findings the report concluded that wind turbines cannot be relied upon to produce significant levels of power generation. The findings are certainly interesting but I think if wind power is used alongside other ways of generating power it can still be beneficial. I think most people realise that as yet there is not really a plausible alternative to nuclear power.

If you are looking for an unspoilt beach in Britain then you may want to check out this article. It lists some lesser known beaches  (at least they were until the article highlighted them) that might be worth a visit. Among the beaches it recommends are Luskentyre Beach on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides, Great Bay in St Martins on the Scilly isles and Oldshoremore in Sutherland. Many of the beaches are located in more isolated areas so require a little bit more effort to get too but I guess that’s why less people make do make the effort to visit them. A small price to pay I feel for a bit more of the beach to yourself.

That’s according to this article which says ministers are considering lifting the requirement to have a vehicle tested every year. Instead drivers would need to get their vehicle tested once every two years. The move is being considered to help motorists who are already struggling with rising petrol prices. The Government’s own analysis, however, has found that relaxing the rules could lead to an extra 30 deaths on the road every year. Personally I think a yearly Mot can be an important safety reminder, particularly if you don’t get your car serviced regularly. It can prove to be expensive but in some ways I would rather have the reassurance that I am driving a safe car. Perhaps they should look at reducing the cost of an Mot from the average £55 to perhaps £30, this would make it more affordable whilst still giving the peace of mind of a yearly check.

In a moment of madness I have recently taken on a plot on an allotment. Not that you would currently know it is an allotment. It is currently covered in waist high brambles and nettles and even has a few established trees. Having spoken to other people at the allotment the plot has not been touched for around 10 years. It’s certainly going to be a challenge to get it cleared. We did make a start yesterday clearing the worst of the brambles. I estimate it will take a few more days before we clear the rest. Then comes the really hard work of digging all the roots out. I am hoping to get a small patch dug over in time to plant some potatoes. Although the allotment will be a challenge it is encouraging to see it coming along slowly.

This is interesting it’s a short article about a lady called Maria Hose Cristerna who not only has covered herself with a large number of tattoos that cover nearly 100% of her body but has also recently had horns implanted to try and look like a vampire. To complete the look she also has specially shaped vampire fangs and has changed the colour of eyes, I presume with contact lenses, although the article doesn’t make this point clear. It certainty is an interesting look and as a mother of four children I can’t help thinking she must get a few odd looks on the school run.

According to this article brown bread is starting to becoming more popular whilst sales of white bread in the same period have fallen. Whilst sales of white bread do still far outweigh those of brown the figures do suggest that people are starting to buy more brown loaves. Sales of white bread have fallen by 1% whilst sales of brown have risen by 6%. To put the figures in to context, however, white bread still accounts for 66% of the 12million loaves sold each day, a total of 7.9million, whilst brown accounts for around 27%, 3.24million loaves a day and seeded for seven per cent around 840,000 loaves.

That’s according to this article which looks at Tesco’s new offering tescocars.com The company hopes to offer its users an improved car buying experience. Tesco claim that they have analysed the common problems that people currently have with the industry in order to offer a better service. They will focus on cars which have been well looked after by their previous owners such as ex-fleet or lease cars. The cars are likely to have an higher than average mileage but will still be nearly new and need no work doing to them. Every vehicle will have to meet a 167 point independent RAC Plus inspection and a road tests. Buyers will be able to have their car delivered to their home address or collect it from a national handover centre. It’s certainly interesting to see Tesco moving to corner yet another market, it will be interesting to see how popular their service becomes.

If you like me participated in the Big Garden Birdwatch then you might be interested in this article. It looks at the results of the birdwatch which found small birds have actually increased in numbers despite the harsh winter. Findings of goldcrests have doubled whilst long tailed tits have increased by a third and coal tits have increased by a quarter. Some other results are listed below but it certainly looks like encouraging news for songbirds. We are lucky to have lots of different types of birds in our garden, and I try to encourage them by leaving out bird feeders and leaving some wild areas for insects.

House sparrow - 4.2 birds per garden in 2011, rise from 3.8 in 2010

Starling - 3.9, up from 3.1

Blackbird - 3.3, stayed the same

Blue tit - 3.2, up from 2.6

Chaffinch - 2.4, up from 2.2

Wood pigeon - 1.9, stayed the same

Great tit - 1.6, up from 1.4

Goldfinch - 1.5, up from 1.3

Robin - 1.5, stayed the same

Collared Dove - 1.3, stayed the same at 1.3

That’s according to an entomologist (Insects as food are known as entomophagy) who says UK consumers will turn to insects as food when meat becomes scarce. Prof Marcel Dicke of Wageningen University believes that we should get used to eating insects because by 2020 they will form an important part of our diet. He believes that people will start to change their minds about eating insects as meat starts to become more expensive and is heading a four year programme aimed at producing a business plan to bring insects to western tables. Insects are low in cholesterol and high in protein as well as producing less waste so have the advantage of producing less carbon emissions than conventional livestock. I’m not convinced myself, but will try most foods once so won’t be ruling out eating a few bugs.

This is an interesting idea, it’s a Cloud Girlfriend for lonely men. The idea is that a virtual girlfriend will post updates to your Facebook page making it look as though you are in a long distance relationship. The Social Network Girlfriend website is yet to go live but potential users can register their interest online. The site will ask a user to define their perfect girlfriend before the sites owners bring her into existence. The user will then be able to interact with their new girlfriend through social networks making it look as though they are in a relationship. Real human beings will be employed to act as fake girlfriends with the idea being that the user will appear more desirable because they are not single.

According to this article the average British adult is so unfit that just climbing a few stairs leaves them wheezing. A study into the fitness of British adults found that the average Briton thinks they are overweight by one and a half stone. It also found that most of us only do an average of 1 hour and 14 minutes of exercise a week. The study looked at 2,000 19 to 65 year olds and asked them about their levels of fitness. One in five said they try to avoid any kind of exercise and 48% would only make changes to their lifestyle if they were warned to do by their doctor. On average Britons exercise about twice a week with each session lasting about 37 minutes. Based on this I exercise a bit more than the average person but I must admit it is really hard finding the time to fit exercise into a daily routine. I would certainly worry, however, if I became out of breath just by climbing stairs.

After my experiment with chicken in a tempura batter I have had a few attempts at tempura prawns. I used the same recipe as when I tried it with the chicken, however, on the first attempt the batter didn’t stick to the prawns very well. On attempt number two I rolled each prawn in flour before coating it in the batter mix and this seemed to sort the problem out. The end result pictured was a lovely perfectly cooked prawn in a light crispy batter. I served them as a starter with some sweet chilli sauce, which on this occasion was not homemade but I will be looking at making a batch for next time.

This is an interesting idea, its an airbag jacket for horse riders. The jacket is designed to inflate when the rider flies out of the saddle protecting the rider. The jackets cost around £430 each so are not cheap but they are proving to be quite popular. I can see why, as someone who has had a few falls in the past I can see how this could  be quite useful.

If you are partial to a bottle of Jacobs Creek then you might want to check the label more carefully. According to this article there have been a number of cases of fake wine being sold under the label. The wine which comes from China has been sold to retailers for £2.00 a bottle. It does, however, contain inferior wine. The bottles which are sold for the same price as the genuine product often contains spelling mistakes in the small print on before the label so it might be worth reading the label more carefully before purchasing.

That’s according to this article which features an aquarium built by a man called Jack Heathcote. He has built a custom made aquarium underneath his living room. Measuring 12ft 6in x 12ft 8in x 7ft it is the same size as the room above. It also has a viewing window so you can see the fish inside. It currently houses two chainsaw doradids, three 2ft long Pacus, some Pangasius, a Red tail hybrid catfish, two alligator gars, eight enormous stingrays and two Fly River turtles.