World's strongest beer on sale at £55 a bottle... One gulp will put you over.

World's strongest beer goes on sale at £55 a bottle ... and is so powerful just ONE GULP will put you over the drink-drive limit

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:56 AM on 7th February 2011

A beer so powerful just one gulp would push you over the drink-drive limit has gone on sale.

Sink The Bismarck is believed to be the strongest beer in the world with a 41 per cent alcohol content. Brewed by Scottish firm BrewDog it costs £55 for a 330ml bottle.

The drink, which works out as £95 per pint, has four times as many hops than ordinary beers, say its makers.

The beer is supposed to be drunk in small quantities because it is so strong and has been designed with a screw top so it can be resealed.

Sink The Bismarck is believed to be the strongest beer in the world with a 41 per cent alcohol content. Brewed by Scottish firm BrewDog it costs £55 for a 330ml bottle

The beer is supposed to be drunk in small quantities because it is so strong and has gone on sale in a pub in Birmingham

Now a pub in Birmingham has put the controversial beverage behind the bar.

Nigel Barker, landlord at the Wellington, told the Birmingham Mail: 'It has to be drunk in moderation because of its strength but we have sold several bottles.'

The taste for extra-strong beers has seen other brands appear on the market and an off licence close to the pub is selling one which is 'just' 32 per cent alcohol and also sells at £55 for a 330ml bottle.

The high alcohol content means a 50ml serving would be the equivalent of consuming two glasses of wine.

The label warns: 'This is an extremely strong beer; it should be enjoyed in small servings and with an air of aristocratic nonchalance - in exactly the same manner that you would enjoy a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost.'

Harpal Rai, 34, off-licence owner, says he has sold four bottles of powerful Tactical Nuclear Penguin beer. He said: 'We tend to sell it more to the wealthier client, like doctors and lawyers, not only because of the price, but also for the taste too'

Harpal Rai, 34, owner of the Rai Wine Shops off-licence, said he has sold four bottles of the beer.

But Jack Law, of Alcohol Focus, said the super strong drink was a 'cynical marketing ploy' which could encourage irresponsible drinking.

He added: 'We want to know why a brewer would produce a beer almost as strong as whisky?

The fashion for super-strength booze comes at the same time that the Government has ordered a crack down on binge drinking.

Pub and club promotions that encourage drinking to excess will be banned in a retreat from a previous policy of liberalising licensing laws.

Licensees face fines of up to £20,000 or up to six months in jail for offers such as 'All you can drink for £10', or 'Free drinks for women under 25'.

But Harpal said the super strong beers are not aimed at the younger market and claimed they would not encourage irresponsible drinking.

'The beer is more for the discerning customer who likes quality and appreciates the drink,' he added.

'We tend to sell it more to the wealthier client, like doctors and lawyers, not only because of the price, but also for the taste too.

'They are brewed like a very good whisky hence the long wait in receiving the stock.'

Managing director James Watt from BrewDog said: 'This beer is about pushing the boundaries, it is about taking innovation in beer to a whole new level.'

He added that a beer such as Tactical Nuclear Penguin should be drunk in 'spirit-sized measures'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354411/95-pint-The-41-cent-beer-drink-drive-limit-ONE-gulp.html#ixzz1DHpFMEDq

Britain losing language identity to American influence...

The 'conTROversy' over changing pronunciations

To language purists they might grate, but new ways of pronouncing words are spreading in Britain thanks to the influence of US culture.

According to recent studies, British people now adopt the American-style pronounciation of certain words  Photo: PHOTOLIBRARY

By Jasper Copping 11:12PM GMT 05 Feb 2011

In a study by the British Library, interim results suggest a third of Britons taking part now adopt the American-style “skedule” over the traditional pronunciation, which has a softer “sh” sound.

Other US pronunciations taking root, according to researchers, are “pay-triotic”, in place of “pat-riotic”, and “advertISEment”, instead of “adVERTisement”.

The research, which is ongoing, is part of a series of projects connected to the British Library’s Evolving English exhibition.

It involves volunteers using the library’s website to submit a recording of themselves saying six prescribed words and stating where they are from.

Initial findings of the research have indicated that Britons are also creating a new way of saying controversy which hasn’t traditionally been used in Britain or the US.

Three quarters of Britons taking part say “conTROversy”, with the emphasis on the middle syllable, rather than the previously conventional “CONtroversy”.

Jonnie Robinson, curator of sociolinguistics and education at the British Library, said the word had undergone a “stress shift”. “The new pronunciation – conTROversy – does appear to be peculiarly British and it is catching on,” Mr Robinson said.

“People complain about it, when they hear it on the radio, for instance, and there might be a popular myth that this one is changing as a result of American usage – but there is no evidence that Americans are doing it.

“That isn’t the case with “skedule”, which is used by all Americans and does seem to be being adopted here, particularly by younger speakers.”

As well as "controversy" and "schedule", the other words being studied are:

- “garage”, which Britons are more likely to pronounce as “garridge”, over “garaarge”, which is universal in the US.

- “attitude”, where there is no sign of the British adopting the US “attitood” over “atti-chewed”.

– “neither” – despite the impression given in the George Gershwin song “Let’s call the whole thing off”, there is no clear divide between Britons and Americans, with “nee-ther” and “ny-ther” used on both sides of the Atlantic.

– “scone” – which Americans all rhyme with "bone", but which many British rhyme with “gone”. This is thought to be down to social and regional differences in the UK, which are still being analysed.

Hundreds of contributions have already been collected by the library but volunteers are still able to take part.

Linguists put changing pronunciations down to the influence of broadcasters and US culture.

Dr Wyn Johnson, from the department of language and linguistics at the University of Essex, said: “People are getting a bit more conscious of how words are pronounced.

“I think broadcasters could have an influence on this. The number of times something is heard, influences the way people pronounce it, because they assume that is the way to say it.”

France evacuates 6,000 after finding a 1,000lb bomb...

France evacuates 6,000 Parisians after unexploded World War Two bomb discovered

Six thousand people were evacuated from their homes in the outskirts of Paris on Sunday because of an unexploded RAF bomb dropped during a Second World War raid.

Military experts worked from around 8am to noon to diffuse the bomb  Photo: AFP/GETTY

By Peter Allen, Paris 6:27PM GMT 06 Feb 2011

The 1000lbs device – half of which was made of high explosive – was found on land in France owned by carmaker Renault in Boulogne-Billancourt.

It was originally dropped 69 years ago in a hugely successful mission involving a then record 223 aircraft who did everything possible to avoid killing civilians.

Military experts worked from around 8am to noon to diffuse it, with the all clear being given early in the afternoon.

Men, women and children were led from their homes in the morning by some 400 policemen.

Many of the evacuees carried food and family pets with them, while some even had suitcases.

Some spent the time in local sports halls and other council buildings, while others were given free passes to go to the cinema.

"People were asked to leave their homes at dawn this morning because the bomb was considered live and dangerous," said a local police spokesman.

"It was found by builders on land which was heavily bombed during the Second World War. Homes which fall within a four hundred meter radius of the bomb have been evacuated."

Gilles Renaud, a 38-year-old businessman who lives in the evacuation area, said: "Thousands of people started flocking into the streets as soon as the sun came up today.

"It's a very strange situation – to be forced out of your home by a bomb which was dropped well before most of us were born."

On March 3 1942, Bomber Command ordered a mission to destroy the Renault factory at Boulogne-Billancourt which was making an estimated 18,000 lorries a year for Nazi forces, who had then been occupying France for two years.

The bombers were sent in three waves, with pilots ordered to bomb the factory as low possible so that the civilian population living nearby were not hit. Flares were also used to light up the target.

Incredibly, there were no flak defences, meaning the planes could drop their explosives almost uninterrupted for a full hour and 50 minutes.

Few German fighters were scrambled against the British either, and there were no collisions, which meant that the RAF only lost a single Wellington Bomber. The tonnage of bombs dropped – some 470 tonnes – was then a record too.

The attack was considered a huge success, and widely publicised at a time when the war was turning in the Allies favour.

Despite this, however, there were in fact thousands of civilian casualties, especially in apartment blocks close to the factory.

While industrial areas on the outskirts of Paris were heavily bombed during the war, the historic centre of the city remained largely unscathed.

A spokesman for the mayor's office in Boulogne said: "The bomb was originally found by builders carrying out work in late January, but experts have only been able to start diffusing it today. The area is now completely safe."

Rolls Royce celebrates 100 years...

100 years of the Spirit of Rolls-Royce: Owners parade through London to mark a special Flying Lady's birthday

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 2:48 AM on 7th February 2011

One hundred Rolls-Royce owners took to the streets of London to mark 100 years of the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy mascot that appears on the bonnet of the prestigious cars.

Drivers took their vehicles across the capital through Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square.

Modern Rollers and vintage models brought the streets to a halt yesterday morning as they marked the centenary.

Standstill: 100 Rollers, old and new, brought the streets of London to a halt early on Sunday morning

Famous icon: A long queue forms in central London as motorists marked 100 years of the Spirit of Ecstasy or Flying Lady figurine

The iconic silver figurine - also known as the Flying Lady - was based on Eleanor Thornton who was the lover of Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, the publisher of an early car magazine.

The car enthusiast commissioned Charles Skyes, a friend, to create the statuette as a mascot for his 1909 Silver Ghost.

When Charles Rolls and Henry Royce created their brand in 1904 there was no statue or figure on the front of their vehicles.

Eleanor was his secretary – and their love was kept hidden for many years.

Initially the mascot was an optional extra in 1911 but in the 1920s it became standard fit on all new Rolls-Royce cars.

Eleanor died four years later in 1915 when she was on board a passenger ship which was torpedoed close to the coast of Crete and she drowned in the wreckage. Her body was never recovered.

It was thought Lord Montagu had also died in the disaster but he was saved by his life-jacket. As he was assumed to be dead, his obituary was written and published in a newspaper.

The secret couple met at the Car Illustrated magazine where they were both working.

Secret relationship: Eleanor Thornton never lived to know how famous the figure would become

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354406/100-years-Spirit-Rolls-Royce-Owners-parade-London-mark-special-Flying-Ladys-birthday.html#ixzz1DEonxBWX

Police get 21 page book on how to ride a bike...

Police guide to ride a bike: don't forget the lemon curd and watch out for insects

Police officers are being issued with lengthy guides on how to ride a bike – including tips on avoiding swarms of insects and suggestions for lemon curd snacks.

Police officers are being issued with lengthy guides on how to ride a bike Photo: ALAMY

By Jasper Copping 7:00AM GMT 06 Feb 2011

12 Comments

Pity the poor policemen sent out on bicycle patrol.

It is not just the criminals they need to worry about, but the ever present threat of chapped lips, flagging energy levels, airborne insects and sore bottoms.

Now, however, help is at hand for police cyclists in the shape of hundreds of pages of advice including guidance on what they should eat and wear.

In 2009, the Association of Chief Police Officers scrapped plans to introduce its own manual teaching officers how to cycle. The documents show that forces have created their own instead.

West Midlands Police, recommends that officers use lip balm to prevent chapped and cracked lips, and suggests the strategic application of sunscreen "to protect areas of your body that are exposed ... during the summer months".

A 21 page dossier, developed by the Metropolitan Police but also used by other forces, gives three pages over to advice on the sorts of foods that police cyclists should eat.

Among the recommendations are "high sugar spreads such as jam, honey, lemon curd. ", though it goes on to state that these "should be eaten with a bread-based unsweetened item".

Malt loaf, breakfast cereal or fruit are also suggested.

The guide adds: "Be wary of consuming high sugar content confectionary, certain items though are a good source of carbohydrates such as Jaffa Cakes or flapjack.

"Defined 'energy bars' are acceptable but they generally have a high sugar content and can be expensive."

As well as the officers' diet, the guides give lengthy consideration to what clothing should be suitable.

The Met document recommends that riders "obtain a suitable set of defined cycle underwear with a padded crotch area to prevent discomfort during riding".

In Cambridgeshire, the force's "code of guidance for pedal cycles and ancillary equipment" suggests an investigation should be conducted to establish whether officers it would still comply with the force's "corporate image", if its cyclists wore shorts.

The documents even go as far as stating what officers should carry in their pockets, pointing out that sharp items such as keys should not be kept in pockets, as they could hurt if the officer falls off.

Humberside officers, before going out on cycle patrol, must consider a five page risk assessment in which they are required to analyse the risk of injury from airborne particles and insects.

The documents show that the force calculates such incidents to be a "medium" risk, and states that as a result officers must wear "cycle specific" eye protection at all times.

Of "low" risk, but still to be considered, is the possibility that officers might suffer nerve damage from vibrations on their handlebars – gloves are suggested, but not demanded, to counter this risk.

Other forces require the wearing of glasses to protect officers from "wind, wind-borne particles and sun glare".

The manuals, copies of which have been obtained from forces across the UK, have been ridiculed by critics.

One dossier, from Essex Police, even reveals that officers on bicycles are banned from pursuing suspects unless they have been on an "advanced" cycling course.

Even then, they must conduct a "dynamic risk assessment" in which they must evaluate whether the decision to chase could breach the suspect's human rights – by endangering their safety – as well as consider nine other factors, including the weather.

The same document states that if undercover officers want to ride without a helmet to avoid arousing suspicion, a supervisor must first carry out a risk assessment.

Meanwhile, Gwent Police instructs officers to stay on roads and cycle paths and not to go "off road" because of the "recognised risks to health and safety". It also insists that even undercover officers should wear a helmet.

One document, used by Lothian and Borders police suggests each hand signal – to indicate a manoeuvre – should be maintained for three seconds and recommends officers "use the technique from the 1981 film 'Gregory's Girl' by saying "1 elephant 2 elephants 3 elephants".

The West Midlands Police guide has instructions in how to cycle downhill.

It points out, helpfully, that: "Gears and pedalling are not important, so adopt a neutral pedal position", before adding, in capital letters "DO NOT PUT YOUR FEET DOWN TO SLOW DOWN YOUR CYCLE".

The same document also has a seven point guide on "Getting off the cycle", including the advice: "Bring your cycle to a halt using your brakes."

As well as the usual aspects of road safety, such as how to deal with other traffic, West Midlands officers are given advice on some other unusual hazards they might encounter on patrol.

Officers from the force are warned that "dogs don't usually like cyclists and some may even pursue you".

The guide also adds that during the summer "there are swarms of insects often attracted by the bright fluorescent colours the cyclist is wearing. The wearing of suitable eye protectors is essential."

The 11 point "operating procedure" for bicycling officers at Gwent Police states that they must dismount at least every hour and walk for at least five minutes.

Andrew Rosindell, the Tory MP for Romford and a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Cycling Group, said: "This sounds like a complete waste of time and, most likely, money.

"I think most people learn the basics of riding a bike by the time they are seven and you tend not to forget."

Haircut banned from school....

Sorry, you can't come to school like THAT: Haircut that was 'too extreme' for the classroom

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 6:53 PM on 5th February 2011

A schoolboy's hairstyle has landed him in trouble at school after it was deemed 'too extreme' for the classroom.

Ten-year-old Thomas Miller could soon be forced get rid of the patterns shaved onto his scalp despite having had the same style for six years. 

The boy, a pupil at Meadowfield Middle School, in Bedlington, Northumberland, was sent home by his headteacher, to the horror of his parents Lindsay and Lee. 

Thomas's dad, Lee: 'To me, too extreme means lots of colours or something, not a few squiggles.'

He's been told he can't go back to class until he shaved his mop off or waited for the patterns to grow out. 

But Thomas's parents were left outraged by the decision and have made their feelings known to the school. 

Father Lee, 36, of Briardale, in Bedlington, said: 'We're both absolutely furious. We just cannot understand it, how on earth are a few squiggles on the side of his head 'too extreme? 

'He's had the exact same haircut since he was four and we have never had any problems before. 

'The school is now saying he can't go back to class unless we shave his whole head or wait for the patterns to grow out. 

'To me, 'too extreme' means lots of colours or something, not a few squiggles.

'Thomas went to school as normal on Monday and, at 10am, we got a phone call to say we had to go and pick him up. 

'We were flabbergasted when they said they were sending him home because of his hair. 

'The head reckoned he’s sent letters out to us warning us of Thomas's hair but we haven’t seen any. 

'We asked to look at copies but they didn't have them. We don't know what we're going to do yet but I don't want to shave his hair off. Yet he's going to miss quite a bit of school if we wait for it to grow back.

'We are definitely thinking about making a formal complaint. It's just ridiculous.'

Mum-of-three Lindsay, 28, added: 'The patterns shaved in his head are really very short and there is no way we could shave the whole of his head that length, particularly not in this cold weather.' 

After talks with the headteacher, Thomas was finally allowed back to school, on the provision he had to grow-out his hairstyle and not cut it back in. 

Lindsay said: 'He's gutted. He's had it done every month since he was four.

'We wouldn't have minded so much if we'd had some kind of warning but this has
come totally out of the blue. 

'Now, we've been told and we're aware, we’ll grow it out.  We just think it's a bit unfair the way he has been treated.'

A spokesman for Northumberland County Council said: 'The advice which the council gives to schools is that they should follow national guidance, which is "pupils should not be excluded for breaches of school uniform rules or rules on appearance (for example, relating to jewellery, body- piercing, hairstyles etc) except where these are persistent and in open defiance of such rules".

'Pupils may be sent home, their parents first having been contacted, to change clothes without being excluded; this should be for no longer than is necessary.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354028/Parents-anger-schools-decision-send-boy-home-haircut-extreme.html#ixzz1DBW8rgXM

Coffee shop owner faces jail over scantily clad waitresses...

Sheer cheek of it all! Coffee shop owner faces jail because waitress was too scantily clad

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 1:34 AM on 6th February 2011

A coffee shop owner faces up to 90 days in jail because one of her waitresses was too scantily clad.

Cheryl Clark, who runs Dreamgirls Expresso, was found guilty of violating the local indecent exposure ordinance for having one of her 'bikini baristas' wear sheer shorts while serving up coffee in Yakima, Washington state.

According to the police, not only were the shorts sheer, they didn't cover enough of her buttocks.

A barista in action at the Dreamgirls Expresso coffee shop in Yakima, Washington, where the owner was found guilty of violating local indecent exposure regulations

Clark is due to be sentenced on February 18.

Shops with baristas in bikinis have been cropping up all over Washington state in recent years as small independent coffee shops struggle to compete with the major chains. One place was even featuring pole dancing for a short time.

'I think that it's creative marketing that really grabbed some attention,' said Kate Reardon, spokeswoman for the city of Everett, where one coffee shop was accused of exchanging sexual favours for money.

In Yakima, about 100 miles south east of Seattle, publicly wearing G-strings and see-through clothing is forbidden.

Flesh in the pan? Biikini-clad baristas have become increasingly popular in the last couple of years, but some see it as a craze that's soon to die out

But efforts to control bikini barista shops through ordinances on what waitresses can wear have run into hurdles over defining what is decent or indecent attire.

Bob Phibbs, author of The Retail Doctor's Guide To Growing Your Business believes the barista-bikini craze will be a short-lived fad.

"Your money's in professional people going to work. It's not in people hanging out looking at naked bodies," he said.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354150/Coffee-shop-owner-faces-jail-bikini-clad-barista.html#ixzz1DBVChwXl