As happy as a pig in mud?

May 24, 2014 at 6:38 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Not this piggy. But he had friends on hand to help him

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Red wine is good for your TEETH: Study finds it can help prevent cavities: “Few people need an incentive to tuck into a glass of wine with their dinner. But, there is good news for anyone looking for an excuse to have a tipple. New research has today revealed red wine could protect against cavities. Research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry revealed grape seed extract also prevents cavities. Research has previously suggested that grape seed extract and wine can slow the growth of bacteria prompting the research team to try and establish whether they could prevent cavities. They grew cultures of bacteria responsible for dental diseases as a biofilm. They then dipped the biofilms for a couple of minutes in different liquids, including red wine, red wine without the alcohol, red wine spiked with grape seed extract, water and 12 per cent ethanol. Red wine with or without alcohol and wine with grape seed extract were the most effective at getting rid of the bacteria.”

Japan’s Kinki University changes its name – to be taken more seriously by English speakers: “For years staff and students at Kinki university in Japan have had to endure sniggers from English speakers and jokes at their expense. But no longer, as the educational institution is to be renamed. The college, in Osaka, will now be known as Kindai University – which is a combination of ‘Kinki’ and ‘Daigaku’, which means university. The college’s Dean, Hitoshi Shiozaki said: ‘The word kinky also means perverted. ‘We have no other choice than to change the English name because we are serious about pursuing a more international school culture.’ The university told the Japan Times: ‘We aim to get more foreign students coming here, so we’ve decided to change our English name to ensure there is no misunderstanding.'”

An unusual revolution: “A hotel in Thailand has extended happy hour until midnight and offered its guests free wifi in a bid to compensate for the country’s coup d’etat. Le Meridien hotel in Chiang Mai sent a letter to its guests to explain that a nationwide curfew was in place following the military takeover, meaning they would not be able to leave the hotel between 10pm and 5am. But to make up for the inconvenience and lack of official information about the situation, the hotel reportedly offered free wifi so guests could access international news reports and extended the bar’s happy hour. The hotel’s note was posted to Facebook and reported by Business Insider as tourists were informed that they had to abide by the curfew imposed following the military takeover. However, the military has reassured travellers that they will be safe in the country. There have been no reports of violence as yet and there appear to be no tensions in Bangkok as tourists and locals talk to soldiers and even take photographs with them.”

An unusuual Ferrari: “A flop sportscar has started a new life as a super pick-up truck that can go from nought to 60 in five seconds. Two motor enthusiasts bought a 1989 Ferrari 412, usually regarded as one of the Italian car maker’s least desirable models, for £5,000 and then spent the next six weeks creating the first Ferrari pick-up truck. London Motor Museum boss Elo and his mechanic friend Will Trickett removed a foot (30cm) of the roof and shifted everything forward to create a four-and-a-half feet load bed at the back. They jacked up the rear suspension for extra load-carrying capability and taking inspiration from luxury yachts, they decided to use teak wood to panel the rear bed. As well as the flat bed and suspension the two car fanatics swapped the Ferrari’s 4.9-litre V12 engine for a 5.7-litre V8 from a Chevrolet to give it more oomph.”

Did the Portuguese discover Australia?: “A 16th-century-style Portuguese cannon, that was discovered by a 13-year-old boy off a remote beach in the Northern Territory in 2010, has reignited the debate over who first arrived in the country. Research has shown the lead that the cannon is made from is linked to an ancient Spanish mine, meaning the historic artifact could have arrived in Australia before Lieutenant James Cook stepped off HMS Endeavour in 1770. The Portuguese may have even brought the swivel gun to the country before the Dutch made the first official European sighting of Australia in early 1606. Teenager Christopher Doukas unearthed the historic swivel gun … an anti-personnel light artillery piece, poking out of mud, dug it out with his father and took it back to his home. Portugal occupied Timor from 1515 until 1975 and it has long been hotly debated whether Portuguese explorers made it all the way to Australia, about 700km away.”

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