Faith, Hope, Love.

I have not posted this video for tabloid-style sensationalism, or an attention-grabbing few moments, or to try and make myself look super holy, I have posted it so you can see that Haiti has hope, and their hope is found in Jesus. The image of the cross still standing though the rest of the building has collapsed amid the 7.0 earthquake is extremely iconic, and paints a picture of the attitude that many of the Haitians are taking at this awful time; even though their whole worlds have literally crumbled around them, their hope still remains in their creator God. The woman at the end of the clip who breaks out into song praising her Saviour is incredible; I truly admire her spiritual fervor, and her complete trust in Christ.

Channel 4's reportage is not bias and always aims to show an accurate picture of world situations in its broadcast, and this clip is no exception. The images of the dead being piled into mass graves is disturbing, but I think we need to be aware of the extent of this disaster in order to compel us to do something to help those people. I don't know about you, but I have been watching the news reports and hearing the stories about the disorganisation of the whole process of trying to get aid to the people in need, and have felt so helpless, and watching the report from Jon Snow yesterday on the news just reduced me to tears.

Charities have set up websites where people can donate money which will hopefully materialise into aid in order to help the survivors, and eventually re-stabalise a broken country, and I urge you to take a look and donate as much as you can.

- Save The Children
- Oxfam
- The Red Cross

And finally, to those of you who read this and who believe that Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins, and who believe that we have a God who is compassionate and merciful to His people, I ask you to pray for Haiti every day, and ask Him to bring glory in the midst of the disaster, to save lives and to provide hope.

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Getting my head in the game

Armed with smoothies and boxes of green tea, I can't help but feeling a lot like Bridget Jones at this time of year, the bit where she turns over a new leaf post-Hugh Grant phase, and buys a gym membership and starts a diet of air and dust... well maybe I'm not taking the January detox quite that far, but I have noticed a definite air of 'new leaves' about the place. My plans for this year are much the same as past years; be more organised (I received not one but TWO diaries for Christmas); eat more healthily (the fridge is stocked with vegetables and the fruit bowl is full to the brim); be better with money (student loan has just gone in, and I'm not going to even walk past Topshop for fear of temptation). So far, so good. But only time will tell.

In head adornment news, the headband craze has caught my attention recently, and has made me very happy. Here are some reasons why...






There are pretty much no rules to this new trend: oversized flowers, gold ribbon, leather embossed leaves, plaited material... the list goes on. And of course, my favourite pop pixie, Natasha Kahn of Bat for Lashes almost lives in the things, so they must be good.

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Sherlock Holmes

Token stereotypical cockney meat heads; a detailed grimy slow-mo fight scene; fast-paced, smooth edits; a definitively British sense of humour, minute attention to detail in the cinematography. All things one would expect from a Guy Ritchie movie; all things one is presented with in his latest offering: Sherlock Holmes.

If this is a sign of things to come in the film world in this fresh decade, then I will happily partake in its hearty consumption. I feel I often sway one way or another when reviewing films, they are either the very best thing since the common loaf was first sliced, or the lowest-of-the-low-never-to-be-seen-again type job. But this really is a good film. Robert Downey Jr. plays a delightfully flamboyant pipe-wielding Holmes, and gels incredibly naturally with his Watson, Jude Law. The crime fighting pair humour their audience with a quick wit and a constant charming sparkle in their eyes, one which maintains character interest right up until the adrenaline packed finale where one wills both men to succeed in their plight.

Rachel McAdams, of Mean Girls fame, steps back in time for another period drama role, and handles it surprisingly well; her devious femme fatal character proving to endear and captivate the majority of the male audience, and her glamorous Victorian wardrobe enthralling the female half.

The plot has enough twists and turns to remain true to Conan Doyle's cleverly intricate detective novels, and translates into the realm of film remarkably well, undoubtedly partly akin to Hans Zimmer's genius in creating yet another perfect score to create a beautifully authentic soundtrack for the time. My favourite scene, trying to avoid revealing anything vital to the plot, is when a large explosion occurs and two of the main characters are sent flailing through the air in slow motion with only the sound of a solitary violin moaning dramatically over the picture to accompany their disastrous state of affairs. I can usually pinpoint the part in most great films I see, where I think, yes, this is good. And that did it for me.

This movie has single-handedly restored my faith in British film-making, and reminded me that I would quite like to go and be a Victorian femme fatal, if only for the damn sexy dresses they get to wear. Bad ass.

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