nufc1892 blog on Absolute Radio

Japan unveils 'space beer'

nufc1892 — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:41:53 +0000

The world's first "space beer" cultivated from barley grown in a laboratory orbiting the earth has been unveiled.

The extra-terrestrial beverage was the result of a five-month mission during which barley was grown for the first time in a Russian laboratory on board the International Space Station (ISS).

Sapporo Breweries, one of Japan's major breweries, went on to use the crop of barley grown in space to create 100 litres of a 5.5 per cent proof beer aptly named Space Barley.

"There's really no beer like it because it uses 100 per cent barley. Our top seller is the Black Label brand, using additional ingredients such as rice. This one doesn't, and is really a special beer," said Junichi Ichikawa, managing directory for strategy at Sapporo Breweries.

The space brew was the result of a collaboration between the Russian Academy of Science, Okayama University in Japan and Sapporo Breweries , one of the oldest brewers in the country.

The barley was grown as the result of an on-going crop growing project on board ISS, with other products including wheat, lettuce and peas. In the furute, potatoes could also be grown in space.

However, Boris Morukov, a cosmonaut who spent 11 days in space on board the ISS, said: "I think we would try to grow potatoes as food, not for vodka production." While the current batch of space beer will not be sold commercially, 30 couples selected from among the public by lottery will be invited to a special tasting event in Tokyo next month.

Although beer has previously been off space menus due to its alcohol and gas content, breweries are hoping that the newly-created space beer may eventually become available for astronauts to enjoy in space.

The unveiling of the space beer comes to light only days after a selection of Japanese delicacies such as seaweed soup, mackerel in miso and green tea, were blasted into space to feed astronauts on board the ISS.

Good morning all

nufc1892 — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:54:15 +0000

Happy hump day to you all. Another cold and frosty one it appears. (I haven't been out yet, just peeped round the curtains). The worst is yet to come according to the forecast.

Now must go and change my hat. Who will it be today?

Casino gambles - and loses - with marketing gaffe

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:58:15 +0000

A US casino that accidentally sent vouchers to more people than than it could afford to has been forced to ask thousands of customers to give it a break.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course set out to do something nice for its best customers, rewarding 1,000 of them with free slot-machine playing credits

But instead of the elite 1,000, the promotion was sent to 55,000 people. If they all claim the reward, the casino could be on the hook for $29 million (£20 million).

Hollywood Casino executives decided Monday to partially honour the offer after frantically calling tens of thousands of customers during the weekend.

The mistake was first reported by WGAL-TV, which said customers had already started trying to take advantage of the offer that took effect Monday.

The reward programme offered $100 in slots credits per week from Dec 1 through Jan 4, plus two free visits to the buffet at the casino in Grantville, about 15 miles northeast of Harrisburg, said Penn National spokesman Eric Schippers.

But then the direct mailing company used by the casino let it down, Mr Schippers said.

If all 55,000 customers were allowed to redeem $100 credits for five straight weeks, plus two $14 buffet visits, it would cost the casino more than $29 million, he said.

In an attempt to cut its loss, Mr Schippers said Monday the casino is offering $100 in credits per customer and two buffet passes, if they are redeemed by Christmas.

"Rather than say 'Sorry, it was an error,' we've said 'Sorry, let's try to come up with what we think is a reasonable redemption plan,"' he said.

Man jailed for having sex with a horse

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:40:11 +0000

Leeroy Le Gallais, 46, broke into the animal's stable on two separate occasions to perform sex acts on the terrified animal.

During his first attack he used a bucket to stand behind the horse, called Calico, but was caught after leaving his underwear at the scene.

He was given a three-year probation order, but just months later returned to have sex with the same horse at the Castel Stable in Guernsey.

On the night of the second attack, on April 25 this year, Calico's owner Michael Wortley checked on the animal in his stable at 6.30pm.

The 20-year-old bay gelding was covered with a blanket but when Mr Wortley returned in the morning the blanket was on the floor.

A mounting stool that was left outside the stable had been taken inside and police immediately suspected Le Gallais was responsible.

After the second attack Calico was seen 'box walking', or moving sideways, a common sign of stress.

Le Gallais, of St Peter Port, Guernsey, was jailed for three years at Guernsey's Royal Court after admitting having sex with the animal.

He told the court: "I had a few beers, I went to the stable and interfered with the horse."

Le Gallais said his second attack came after he ate in a restaurant and drank a few glasses of red wine before visiting a bar.

He had intended to go home but ended up at the stable where he 'played around' with the horse.

Le Gallais initially denied any knowledge of the matter but when told by police that forensic samples had been taken he admitted going to the stable.

He told the court: "Maybe I had a little bit of an urge or something. I mean, like a sexual, a sexual thing, I suppose you could call it that."

Defending, advocate Sara Mallett said he had co-operated with police and he had pleaded guilty to the offence at the first opportunity.

She said Le Gallais had learning difficulties and his IQ was 'very low' and his sexual desires could have stemmed from incidents in his childhood.

His first attack came in October 2007 when he sneaked into the stable and used an up-turned water bucket as a stool.

Calico's owner found him in a "stressed" state with his back rug disturbed and a discarded pair of underpants nearby.

Because it was unclear if he had sex with the animal during the first incident, Le Gallais was found guilty of two charges of attempting a sexual act with a horse.

At his first trial, assistant-magistrate Phillip Robey said: "The offence will be a repugnant one to all right-thinking people."

The court heard Le Gallais had a history of sexual offending including indecent exposure to girls and inciting an 11-year-old to commit an act of gross indecency.

Sentencing him to three years, Judge Russell Finch, said Le Gallais was not of previous good character and the probation order breach was an aggravating factor.

A five-year probation period was also imposed from the time of his release.

Most employers monitor internet access at work

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:07:32 +0000

Two-thirds of employers monitor how much time their staff spend on the internet and which sites they visit, and the same proportion block "inappropriate" websites, according to a study.

Older bosses frequently see the internet as "a massive time-waster" rather than a potentially useful way to work, according to the Chartered Management Institute poll of 1,000 managers aged 35.

The CMI survey characterised the findings as evidence that businesses are failing to get to grips with the internet.

It found that one in six managers under 35 (16 per cent) think their employers are "dinosaurs" when it comes to adopting the latest web trends.

Just under half (49 per cent) said their organisation only "takes up things once they've been tried and tested". And only four per cent said their employer "falls in love with the latest trend".

Jo Causon, director of marketing and corporate affairs at the CMI, said: "Younger managers are growing up with much greater familiarity of technology and are comfortable using technologies such as mobile video, television on-demand, or information services such as Google and Wikipedia.

"Quite clearly, organisations need to harness the comfort levels these individuals have with Internet-based resources, because failure to do so will lead to frustration and the loss of top talent at best, or worse, an open door for competitors to build advantage through a better equipped and enabled workforce."

Public bodies tend to be more restrictive than private companies, the poll found. While 65 per cent of organisations monitored usage, in local government that rose to 86 per cent and in the police 88 per cent. Eight-nine per cent of local government bodies block "inappropriate" sites, it found.

Not that any of you lot waste time at work on T'internet.

Women barred from pub for being 'too old'

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:53:03 +0000

The 15-strong group, a mixture of middle-aged women and their daughters, had enjoyed a meal together before wandering over to the Courtyard Bar in Leeds.

As soon as they reached the doorway they were told they could only go inside if they were 35 or younger.

To add insult to injury, one member of the door staff allegedly told them: "Daughters can come in, but not the mums."

Carol Borthwick, 62, a civil servant, whose group included teachers, bankers and a police officer, said today: "When they asked us our ages we thought they were joking and so, smiling, we made to go in.

"But they we realised that, far from joking, they were in deadly earnest and told the mums in the group that we were too old to come in.

"It was a freezing night and we were kept standing on the pavement hoping for an explanation. They said that nobody over the age of 35 could be admitted."

Ironically, Mrs Borthwick had been allowed into the bar – for a 60th birthday celebration. She suspects her friend's age was not an issue on that occasion "as she was footing a rather hefty bill."

This time she and her party claim they were met with a blank refusal after asking to speak to the manager.

A woman did eventually emerge from the bar, but claimed she was unable to help. The two door staff "stood shoulder to shoulder, enjoying every moment."

The bar's owners, Mitchells & Bulmers, have now launched a full investigation into the women's complaint.

A spokesman claimed the company was "committed" to treating all its customers equally and did not tolerate discrimination in any form, "whether in terms of age or otherwise."

World's most expensive Christmas tree on display

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:51:42 +0000

Despite the recession, the makers have created the dazzling 24k gold tree to create a "gorgeous atmosphere".

The tree is decorated with more than 240 jewels including diamond baubles and strings of pearls, weighs more than 21 kilograms - and is worth (£1million) 150million yen.

The tree went on display this week at the Ginza Tanaka jewellery shop in Shinsaibashi, Osaka.

"Economic sentiment is sluggish. But, at least in this store, we want people to feel a gorgeous atmosphere," a store official said.

The de luxe tree comes just after the ultimate in lazy Christmas tree decorations was revealed.

The internet sensation is an instant tree that goes from the box to twinkling in the corner in two minutes flat.

And it is considerably cheaper - with prices starting from about £70.

Credit crunch Christmas cards

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:33:28 +0000

Credit crunch Christmas cards wishing people a Great Depression and a Hungry New Year have become a surprise bestseller in the UK.

The new range of festive cards, which feature a family who have lost their home, a woman burning her Christmas presents to keep warm and a man standing in a bread line, have proved a huge hit with people fed up with the financial crisis.

Designed by artist Andrew Shaffer, they show vintage photos of the 1930s Great Depression and poke fun at high fuel prices, unemployment and the housing market slump.

"The response to the cards has been phenomenal," said Mr Shaffer.

"I think people need to laugh now more than ever. Humour is essential to make it through these tough times."

Best-selling cards include a picture of a man in a snow storm with the slogan: "Hold onto your hat. The worst is yet to come."

Another design shows a glum man guzzling down a bowl of soup for his Christmas dinner and the words: "I hope you like soup."

A third card shows a man in a flat cap trying to keep warm and the slogan: "I just sold my spleen to pay my mortgage."

Mr Shaffer said he came up with the idea for the alternative Christmas cards to add some humour to the festive season during these difficult financial times.

He said: "I wanted to contrast today's financial crisis with the Great Depression to show that things are not as bad as people believe."

The cards are produced by greeting card company Order of St Nick and are available online at www.depressingtimes.com.

Men's magazine loses 130,000 inflatable breasts

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:16:04 +0000

The breasts, worth £100,000, were planned to be a free gift in Ralph magazine - but vanished before arriving at their destination.

A spokeswoman said the container left docks in Beijing two weeks ago but turned up empty in Sydney this week.

The magazine has put out an alert to shipping authorities but the breasts need to turn up in the next 48 hours to make the January issue.

Ralph editor Santi Pintado urged anyone with information to contact the magazine, saying: "Unless Somali pirates have stolen them it's difficult to explain where they are.

"If anyone finds any washed up on a beach, please let us know. We want our boobs back."

The Maritime Safety Authority said it had no information on any lost consignment or ships going "tits up".

The mouse is not broke, so why on earth are people trying to fix it?

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:23:49 +0000

A follow up to yesterday's mouse blog by me.

http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/vip/profile/nufc1892/blog/98008/A_mouse_that_squeaked__the_mouse_that_roared.html

I'd like to follow up my birthday toast to the computer mouse yesterday – but I think we should be fretting more about its continued survival.

It's been disturbing to see predictions of its imminent demise in several articles reporting on the 40th anniversary. Should it ever be replaced by touch screens, as various pundits confidently predict, it would be a classic example of innovatory regression – the process by which an advance in technology makes things less convenient to use.

Obviously there are applications where touch screens are useful – on big public screens where you have to poke buttons as big as something you'd find on a Fisher-Price toy. It wouldn't be practical to link a mouse to an iPhone either, however much you might long for one when trying to navigate internet sites on that tiny screen.

But at home, on my desk, there will always be a nest for the mouse. When combined with a cursor it has a much finer point than my finger, it never leaves Marmitey smears on the screen and it doesn't obscure – with the hand doing the pointing – the very thing that one is trying to point at.

It's lasted 40 years because it works ... so please fix something else instead.

There is rap after rehab

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:12:13 +0000

AS THE MUSIC NEWS PAGE IS NO LONGER UPDATED.

He has been off radar for four years, but the real Slim Shady is back. Having suffered the fatal shooting of his best friend, written his memoirs, battled against sleeping-pill addiction and piled on the pounds after rehab, US rapper Eminem is due to return with a new album in January. Relapse – his first since Encore in 2004 – will feature the second part to his hit "Stan", plus collaborations with hip-hop heavyweights Dr Dre and 50 Cent. His producer, Swizz Beatz, has hailed "Stan 2" as "genius". Perhaps it's thanks to the macrobiotic diet Marshall Bruce Mathers III (Eminem's real name) is rumoured to have adopted.

Dutch man 'Europe's most committed sperm donor'

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:52:50 +0000

A Dutch man has earned a reputation as Europe's most committed sperm donor after fathering 46 children without having sex.

Ed Houben has met the mothers of his offspring on as little as one occasion.

The tourism guide, who was until recently single but has now started a long-distance relationship, has never taken any payment for his services.

"I still meet some of the women and have friendships with them," Mr Houben, from Maastricht in the Netherlands, said.

"I do it because I know how hard it is for people who desperately want a child. Also going through fertility clinics can be very time-consuming and costly for them.

"This way they get to meet me and learn something about me. And I also find out a bit about the family and meet them first before I agree to go ahead. I want to know they will be good parents."

There is currently a huge shortage of sperm donors in the UK, following an end to the anonymity of providers three years ago.

Several British clinics have now stopped offering sperm donation altogether, and couples are finding new ways of becoming pregnant, including travelling abroad or using samples flown in from abroad.

Mr Houben first volunteered his services through an IVF clinic but had to stop a few years ago because he had reached his quota of 25 donations.

Now people find him on the internet and through word-of-mouth. Families he has helped vouch for him by telling of their own good experiences.

Mr Houben has travelled to hotels across Europe to perform his duties as a sperm donor, which is done by self-insemination by the mothers.

He hands over his sample then leaves the woman, or couple, to perform the delicate task alone.

"I receive expenses and still travel to meet couples sometimes when it suits them," he said. "But generally people come here to see me."

Because each child will grow up knowing Mr Houben is their biological father, there is no danger of any of his offspring ever meeting and having a relationship.

"The families all live in different places," he said. "And anyway they know about other couples in their area who have children related to theirs."

A group of families including 12 of his children recently attended a reunion at Mr Houben's home.

"The kids had the chance to play with their half-brothers and sisters, which was nice," said Mr Houben. "The families also got to know each other.

"Some of them introduced me to the kids and said this is your real dad. But to be honest it didn't mean much to the children. They just looked at me and smiled and then carried on playing."

YouTube recruits for world's first online orchestra

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:00:12 +0000

Leading classical musicians are to audition on YouTube to become members of the world's first online orchestra.

In collaboration with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and Berlin Philharmonic, the video-sharing website is creating a talent contest in which musicians are invited to send in clips of themselves performing.

A panel of experts will whittle the field down to a shortlist of semi-finalists who will then be voted on by YouTube viewers.

The winning musicians will form the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, working with Michael Tilson Thomas, the Grammy Award-winning conductor, and Lang Lang, the Chinese pianist, culminating in a performance at New York's Carnegie Hall in April next year.

At the same time a selection of the video entries will be combined to create an online ensemble piece.

Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony and the project's artistic adviser, said: "Music brings people together as no other art. Deepening that process by making the creative/communicative possibilities of video and the internet more available to musicians everywhere is one of our highest goals."

Between now and January 28 all contestants will be asked to send in two clips; one of them performing a piece by Tan Dun, composer of music for the Beijing Olympics, and the other a demonstration of their musical and technical abilities.

Tan said: "The internet is an invisible Silk Road, joining people from across the world. East or West, North or South, anyone can download a score of my Internet Symphony No. 1 'Eroica', pick any part and play it with any instrument or object, in any style.

"YouTube is the biggest stage on earth, and I want to see what the world's undiscovered musical geniuses will create on it."

Kathryn McDowell, managing director of the LSO, said: "The LSO is delighted to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative with YouTube - to unite people from all over the globe and delight in the joys and experiences of playing in an orchestra. It is very much in keeping with our ethos of using technology to link people, share ideas, and be inspired and creative."

The YouTube vote on the semi-finalists will take place between Feb 14 and 22, with the successful candidates being announced on YouTube on March 2.

Walrus plays the saxophone

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:21:36 +0000

A walrus has become a star attraction with visitors at a zoo by learning to play the saxophone.

The Beatles once penned the song "I am the Walrus" but now this whiskered marine mammal has proved that the animal kingdom can blow its own trumpet.

Under the direction of her trainer, Sara the Walrus grips the brass instrument between her flippers and blasts out a note.

Wetsuit-clad Russian trainer Sergiy has also taught her to strike a nonchalant pose, leaning on a work top with one flipper under her chin and looking bored.

Sara's skills at mimicking humans extend to dressing up as a railway platform conductor and blowing a whistle.

Her routine also includes lying face down and catching a rose thrown to her.

And she has become adept at games with balls and hoops.

Sara is delighting onlookers with her routines at Istanbul Dolphinarium in Istanbul, Turkey, which opened its doors on Monday.

Her role at the Dolphinarium is a far cry from the behaviour of her wild counterparts, which spend most of their lives on sea ice in seeking out molluscs to eat.

The walrus has played a prominent role in the cultures of many indigenous Arctic peoples, who have hunted them for their meat, fat, skin, tusks and bones.

Adult males can weigh as much as 4,500lbs.

Good morning all

nufc1892 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:04:05 +0000

How are we all? We have snow here on Tyneside, falling on top of ice. Should be fun out there on the pavements etc.

Take care if/when you have to go out.