Recent Posts
Much of the news in northern Japan recently has been concerned with the poor record of local officials in the area of polar bear sexing.
The municipal zoo in Kushiro, Hokkaido prefecture, brought in a polar bear cub three years ago. He was named Tsuyoshi, after popular baseball outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo.
Zoo staff then waited patiently until Tsuyoshi reached reproductive age. The big day came about three months ago, and he was introduced to long-time zoo resident, an 11-year-old female named Kurumi.
But no little polar bears eventuated. Tsuyoshi, it was noted, was not even doing the amorous advance thing.
In early November, zookeepers put young Tsuyoshi under anaesthesia to get to the bottom of the matter. What they discovered is that he is a she.
In their defence, zoo officials say it is no simple matter to identify a polar bear's sex. "Their long hair makes it difficult to distinguish," said zookeeper Masako Inoue.
The zoo is now combing the area for another male.
www.reuters.co.uk, www.cnn.com, www.theregister.co.uk
Shared on
It's hard to find a more complex set of political and social issues than the Pakistan-India confrontation. The partition and creation of Pakistan in 1947 was politically driven and created more problems than it solved.
I learned a heartbreaking fact a couple of years ago. When the Indian cricket team plays a Test match anywhere in the world, every cricket fan in Pakistan follows the game just as avidly as if it was Pakistan playing. They still accept, indeed take, the Indian team as their own.
If this grassroots, instinctive evidence counts for anything, it says that, 61 years after political partition, culturally they remain one nation.
But since when did the honesty of grassroots instinct and passion sway opinion in the halls of political expediency?
Recommended background reading: Deep Pencil post
Shared on
1.
Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic drink. It is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea.
2.
Beer may be older than bread. The first documented use of beer is from the 11th century but the first beer is thought to have been produced in monasteries about the 7th century BC.
3.
Beer was widely popular by the 14th century, partly because it tasted good and partly because it was safer to drink than water during epidemics.
4.
Lager-style beer was invented by the Germans in the mid-19th century. They named it lager, which means ‘storage’ in German, because of the slow fermentation time. Today the term lager is used throughout the English-speaking world to denote that style of beer, but German speakers no longer call it lager.
5.
The world's biggest-selling beer by volume is America’s Budweiser.
6.
The basic ingredients of beer are water, a fermentable starch source such as malted barley, and yeast. Beer is sometimes referred to as ‘liquid bread’ because brewer’s yeast is a rich source of nutrients. Beer can contain magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin and B vitamins.
7.
Most beers are flavoured with hops, and flavouring beer is the sole major commercial use of hops. Hops give beer a bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt. Hops also contribute floral, citrus, and herbal aromas and flavours to beer; they have an antibiotic effect that helps the brewer's yeast overcome less desirable microorganisms; hops help a beer keep its foamy head longer; and the acidity of hops acts as a preservative.
Stubble holder
8.
Hops have never grown well in Scotland, and Scots developed and still have a preference for other bittering substances such as ginger, pepper, spices and aromatic herbs. Barley, however, does grow well there. Barley produced in the north of Scotland most often becomes whiskey, but barley grown in the south is better suited to the making of beer.
9.
A 2005 Japanese study found that low-alcohol beer may possess strong anti-cancer properties.
10.
The traditional European brewing nations - Germany, Belgium, Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ireland - all have rich local beer histories and traditions. In some countries, notably the US, Canada and Australia, brewers have adapted European styles to such an extent that they have effectively created indigenous beers.
Edouard Manet: The Waitress
Wikipedia, forum.tapesh.com, www.absoluteastronomy.com, beerfacts.net. images: muzeumhumoru.onet.pl, www.routerforums.com, www.boozebasher.com, picasaweb.google.com, www.watchersweb.com
aussieBum
Oh, alright, my sweetie is a confirmed 2(x)ist man, but for me aussieBum is the only underwear I will ever slip in to. Or out of. I have this dream about being in an accident and this divine doctor has to cut away my pants and when he sees my aussieBum he ... anyway, one thing is certain, Calvin Klein is out.
[ Click here to read more ]
Take an infinitive and split it and listen to the howls. How dare you commit such a crime against the English language, they will cry. It is a common complaint and even those who don't know precisely what a split infinitive is have been heard to sneer.
[ Click here to read more ]
Great writers are born in moments of mystery when the stars and planets are serendipitously aligned and the ghosts of Dante, Goethe and Shakespeare are having a drink in a heavenly beer garden (perhaps ruing the decline of iambic pentameter).
[ Click here to read more ]
This sweet little table was brought to life in a small Hong Kong factory and has since hosted family Christmas lunches, candlelit suppers and riotous gatherings of good friends.
[ Click here to read more ]
It has been a traumatic three days for the dogs, who have seen their beloved backyard turned into an alien landscape. We tried to explain that we had little choice, but understanding and forgiveness weren’t immediately forthcoming.
[ Click here to read more ]
The attention of sports fans everywhere will be on Stuttgart, Arkansas, this weekend for the the 73rd Annual World Duck Calling Championship.
[ Click here to read more ]
Shared on
|
|
|
Add Comments
Comments (4)
Read More
Comment by Chris Champion
on United in sport, divided by politicians
moneywhither
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
NewlyOld
The Blog of Lists