Lonely cockerel looks for harem July 9, 2009

“ The owner of a cockerel in Nottinghamshire has begun a search for a new home for the animal after the last of his harem died.

Elvis had lived with four hens at his home in Ravenshead but was left alone with one named Berol after the other three were killed by rats.

His owner Katherine Cooke, 32, said Berol had recently been put to sleep due to exhaustion.”

One newspaper has dubbed Elvis the “lady killer”. I know Freddy Mercury sang “too much love will kill you”. I bet he didn’t imagine it could apply to a hen!

Read the full story: here

Australian town bans bottled water July 9, 2009

“A rural town in Australia has voted overwhelmingly to ban the sale of bottled water over concerns about its environmental impact.

Campaigners say Bundanoon, in New South Wales, may be the first community in the world to have such a ban.

They say huge amounts of resources are used to extract, package and transport bottled water.

The discarded plastic bottles then end up as litter or go into landfill sites, the “Bundy on Tap” campaign says.

The BBC’s Nick Bryant in Sydney says locals have promised not to set upon visitors if they ignore the ban, but they will be encouraged to fill a reusable container from water fountains in the main street.”

I think that’s a great idea. It’s what Sue and I did in Rome, just as many locals were doing. If the tap water’s good enough to drink it doesn’t get any better by bottling it, does it? Anyone who has been to countries where the tap water is unsafe to drink must have noticed the empty plastic bottles in the streets, on the beaches – everywhere.

Read the full story: here

Career change – become a witch ? July 8, 2009

“A job centre is advertising a “witch” vacancy with tourist site Wookey Hole, in Somerset, for £50,000 a year. 

The witch, who has to live in the site’s caves, is expected to teach witchcraft and magic.

Wookey Hole staff say the role is straightforward: live in the cave, be a witch and do the things witches do.

The advert for the post, placed in the local press as well as job centres, says applicants must be able to cackle and cannot be allergic to cats.”

I don’t think I’ll apply, even though the salary is a lot more than I earn now.

Read the full story: here

Stoned wallabies make crop circles June 25, 2009

This has to be the most bizarre headline of 2009 (so far).

“Australian wallabies are eating opium poppies and creating crop circles as they hop around “as high as a kite”, a government official has said.

Lara Giddings, the attorney general for the island state of Tasmania, said the kangaroo-like marsupials were getting into poppy fields grown for medicine.”

It’s also attracting the funniest selection of feedback comments on the BBC news site – though these may no longer be available by the time you read this.

Read the full story: here

High-speed sex costly in Norway June 11, 2009

A man faces a hefty fine and a driving ban after being caught having sex with his girlfriend while speeding on a motorway in Norway, police have said.

“Why they did it on a highway with such a high risk we don’t know,” Tor Stein Hagen, a superintendent with Soendre Buskerud Police District, told the AFP news agency.

“[The vehicle] was veering from one side to the other because the woman was sitting on the man’s lap while he was driving and doing the act, shall we say,” he added.

“He couldn’t see much because her back was in the way.”

I make no comment!

Read the full story: here

Italian PM Berlusconi and those Naked Photos June 5, 2009

Berlusconi

“Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has reacted angrily to the publication in Spain of photographs showing topless women and a naked man at his villa.

He has threatened to sue Spain’s El Pais newspaper, calling the photos an invasion of privacy, the BBC reported.”

I could only track down this one photo – so far.

Read the full story: here

Edit: Actually, I’ve just noticed that the photo above is a composite of two. And I’ve found the other photo – the one of the naked man. If you’re that way inclined, you can see it here

Jellyfish appears in farm field June 3, 2009

Apparently the farmer is not too happy about this “crop circle”, reported to be 250m in length!

I suppose I wouldn’t be overjoyed at the cost of the crop damage, either.

How on earth do people make such accurate patterns, presumably at night? Or is it really the work of aliens?

Read the full story: here

Man saves ducklings from ledge May 19, 2009

You just have to watch this for the Ahhh factor. Sweet.

ducklings

I’m sure there’s a way of embedding videos in this blog but perhaps not in this format.

Anyway, read the full story and watch the video : here

China’s new sex theme park demolished May 18, 2009

“China’s first sex theme park, aimed at improving both the sex education and the sex life of its visitors, has been torn down before it even opened.

Due to open in Chongqing in October, Love Land was to have included displays of giant genitalia, naked bodies and an exhibition on the history of sex.”

A laudible aim, perhaps, badly implemented.

Read the full story: here

MPs’ expenses May 14, 2009

If it weren’t so serious, it would be a farce.

How dare these public employees defraud the British taxpayer so systematically of thousands of pounds? Because it clearly is fraud in many of the cases revealed so far. The auditors may unearth more.

In what other employment could a person hope to get away with it and then, when discovered, plead ‘oversight’ or ‘carelessness’ , and offer to pay the money back so that the whole matter can be forgotten?

No way. The CPS should prosecute all such fraudsters – and not just for large amounts. If you or I were to defraud, say, the DSS out of just one pound they would persue us with the full might of the law. All such MPs should be sacked.

After a general election I suspect we’d have 600-odd much more honest representatives in Parliament.

So, what to do about enabling these MPs to maintain a place to stay in London for about 30 weeks a year? How about just increasing their pay by about £20,000 p.a. (taxed!!) and let each of them decide how best to spend it on accomodation. I think that’s fair.