Orange you glad I'm currant with the news...?

Stand back Erin Brockawhateveryournamewas, the proles have a new hero! Or two, to be precise. A couple of New Zealand schoolgirls have just exposed a globally recognised brandname as a bunch of shifty, devious truth-benders intent on peddling us rubbish in the guise of 'healthy drinks'... and all through their school science project!

It all began when they came up with a theory that cheapy juice drinks would contain less vitamin C than the more expensive recognised brands, such as Ribena. You know, the company that proudly states that their drinks are made from blackcurrants which contain 4 times more vitamin C than oranges. What they found, however, is that Ribena actually had around 4 times less than its cheap rivals... in fact, it contains only a negligible amount of the stuff! They were so convinced they had made a mistake that they did the same experiment again... and same results.

Technically, however, Ribena were not lying. You see, blackcurrants do contain a lot more vitamin C than oranges, pound for pound, but most of it is dispersed in the process of making the drink! At first the girls were fobbed off by the company, until the media took an interest. Now they are being 'thanked' for their assistance in rectifying an oversight... hah!

Incidentally, if you eat processed foods that claim to be high in vitamin C, be wary. As it has such a short life span itself companies need to use a hell of a lot of preservatives to keep the vitamin 'fresh'. Not exactly good for the health concious... no, you want your daily dose? Get some fruit down yer!

Cheers m'dears!

T' be sure...

Right, I have finally recovered enough from St. Patrick's day (for 'day', read 'week') to provide you with another dose of drivel... so where better to start than March 17th itself!

I was invited down to the bar in the American Club here in Sinless City, the only venue where an actual Irish band with at least one Irish member was playing - yep, despite there being 11 Irish pubs in this city, every single one opted for bands playing contemporary covers... go figure. Maybe the American Club wanted something more 'Oirish' since they all believe they have a bit of the green in them, owing to the fact that their great-great-grandmother's third cousin's room-mate once owned a wolfhound that was Irish. Whilst enjoying my pint (not stout, as it's shit here, and none of that bloody lager with green fucking dye in it either) I noticed the special cocktails that were being advertised for the occasion and was, to be frank, slightly taken aback. Number two on the list was a delicious looking shooter called... a Belfast Bomber.

I'm not overly sensitive or anything, but come on - that is a little tasteless, methinks. And the Irish singer didn't seem especially amused either...

Cheers m'dears!

Ahem...

Peace in the Mid(dle-East)lands

I just got this from www.newsoftheweird.com

Muslims Find School Kosher

About half the students who attend the Jewish primary school King David, in Birmingham, England, are Muslims, and in fact, their parents work hard to get them in because they so respect the school's ethos and its halal-like diet. All students learn Hebrew, recite Jewish prayers, and celebrate Israeli independence, but there is a Muslim prayer room, also, and Muslim teachers are hired for Ramadan. However, confided one parent, the school tries to keep a low profile so as not to inflame the religious rabble-rousers. [The Independent, 2-4-07]


The only downside I see is that they all probably have Brummie accents... Seriously though, a few more schools of all different religions with this kind of ethos and our future generations might stand a chance...

Cheers m'dears!