Here’s looking at ya!

April 14, 2011 at 10:54 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

It’s the Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko from Madagascar

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

New Zealand wine rated the world’s best: “Sacrebleu. A $200 bottle of New Zealand pinot noir has beaten a $7000 bottle of French burgundy in a blind tasting in the US. Martinborough Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir 1998 triumphed over one of the world’s most prestigious wines, 1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache, to take No.1 ranking in the World’s Top 20 Pinot Noirs competition in Pasadena, US. Twelve judges blind-tasted 20 wines from New Zealand, the US, France, Germany and Australia. The competition was based on the 1976 Judgment of Paris, which caused a sensation when a Californian wine was chosen over famous French wines. As well as being ranked No.1 overall, the Martinborough Vineyard wine also received the most No.1 rankings – from three of the judges.”

Tough sentence for selling mislabelled bread: “A Durham man convicted of fraud for selling bread that was falsely labeled as gluten-free has been sentenced to at least 9 years in prison. Paul Evan Seelig could serve up to 11 years in prison under the sentence handed down Tuesday. The owner of Great Specialty Bread Co. had been convicted of 23 counts of fraud. Seelig admitted on the stand that he lied to state investigators but blamed his suppliers for the gluten found in bread he sold at the North Carolina State Fair and the fairgrounds flea market. Gluten is an ingredient commonly used in bread that can cause illness in people with celiac disease and other intestinal problems.”

British police force gives guidance to officers about sandwiches: “A British police force issued advice to officers on how to keep their sandwich packs fresh. Lincolnshire Police in central England handed guidance to its 1219 officers and 1162 other staff members warning them to keep “lunch boxes cool” and not to use “out of date food,” The (London) Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday. “Sandwiches should not be kept in briefcases or warm cars and snacks must be kept separate from lunch items,” officers were told. A spokesman for Lincolnshire Police said the guidance was given to officers who were going on training courses, in an attempt to ensure any food they brought stayed fresh.”

Bomb-proof underpants: “The US wants bulletproof briefs to protect its military’s collective manhood. InnovationNewsDaily is reporting that the US Marine Corps has placed an order for 27,500 pairs of impenetrable undies. Groins have always proven a problem for armed forces around the world, because necessity dictates they need to be free for mobility purposes. That makes it an attractive target for enemy forces, and given their increasing love for landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices, a soldiers’ hanging space has become something of a hot spot. Injuries to that region damage much more than pride. A lot of blood flows through a groin and shredding can quickly lead to death or rapid infection. Solution? Ballistic underwear, made from fine double weave silk. It doesn’t stop direct hits from chunky shrapnel, but at least it’s tight enough to stop the fine particles from reducing the Marine Corps’ man-bits to mincemeat. The tackle-protecting technology was developed in the UK, where late last year, some 60,000 British troops were fitted with what they’ve affectionately termed “combat codpieces”.”

“Lawnmower parents”: “They try to mow down life’s bumps, but the “lawnmower parent” could be sabotaging their children’s happiness. The emergence of the lawnmower parent comes as well-intentioned parents increasingly try to trim the problems from their children’s lives. But overprotective parents could be contributing to a surge in anxiety disorders, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Director Prof Alan Hayes said lawnmowers parents had taken up where so-called “helicopter” parents left off. “Instead of hovering over their children closely monitoring them as helicopter parents are said to, lawnmower parents get out in front of their children to try and clear the way for them,” he told the Herald Sun. “They try to remove obstacles that children might need to negotiate.” With families becoming smaller parents were investing more time, energy and money into giving their children the best possible shot at life.”

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