Poor little sod

The BBC (my favourite source of news, dontcha know) reported today on a study which appears to have uncovered a means of curing nut allergies

Pity the poor wee fella, "Peanut allergy sufferer Carl Morris" who gave the reporter this choice soundbite after he was given back the ability to consume nuts:

"I hadn't had a Mars Bar in nine years"

Awww. No-one should have to suffer that.

"Cold showers... scaffolding... Ann Widdecombe"

My congratulations go to British cyclist Mark Cavendish for winning a stage at the Tour of California. I enjoyed learning about his two-wheeled exploits from a report on the BBC website but I was most intrigued by the accompanying picture, showing him in receipt of pecks on the cheek from a couple of rather cracking-looking women.

Note the distinct grimace and steely look of concentration on his face. Is it me, or does he look for all the world like a man trying really hard not to get an erection while wearing cycling shorts in front of a crowd?

Another new look

Like a celebrity-obsessed 16-year-old with low self-esteem, this blog has given itself another new look. It is now officially blue.

Please let me know what you think. And if you're looking at the marvellous graphic at the top, then yes - I did take those pictures.

Football club chairman, they are fickle mistresses

Although they seem to happen all the time, the occurence of not one but two Premier League managerial sackings within 24 hours of one another is a rare thing.

The circumstances surrounding each were rather different and each has been met with contrasting reactions: Adams's sacking, seemingly looming for a number of days, has elicited a great deal of sympathy; Scolari's, meanwhile, has apparently shocked a fair number of onlookers (which I found very surprising given how unhappy that particular captain's ship has looked in recent weeks, culminating with their disconsolate performance against Hull City on Saturday).

But without question the most bizarre thing the convergence of these seemingly unrelated situations could bring about is that, if certain reports are to be believed, the coming days and weeks will see a most unlikely bidding war ensue for the managerial services of one Mr Avram Grant.

I shit you not.

Obamasation

Dedicated readers (there are almost certainly none beyond my own mother) might remember that, back in August 2007, I Simpsonised and South Park-ised myself - in both cases a wee while after the rest of the world had cottoned on. In trademark tardy fashion, I've now discovered you can Barack Obama-ise yourself, in deference to Shepard Fairey's iconic Hope poster which spread like wildfire during the Democratic nomination race.

I am an Obamicon. Not bad for a first attempt, I think, and I may or may not do a few more if the mood strikes.
On a serious note - just the fact that people think to create these websites and that others have responded to them in their thousands, if not millions, really means something, doesn't it?

I won't harp on about the significance of Barack Obama's achievement (not that I believe in it any less but I just don't want to re-tread any ground) but I'm struck but just how a single part of the man's iconography can have such a widespread impact.

That's how much he has captured people's imagination. I really feel that to live to witness something like that is truly remarkable. Bandwagon-jumping for a great part, certainly, but remarkable nonetheless.

Funniest vegetable-related phrase of the week, maybe the year

Here's one you'll like. This story was funny enough already: a man was caught trying to smuggle two pigeons into Australia. Inside his trousers.

Even better is the picture captured at the scene, depicting a pair of rather hairy legs and some knobbly knees, with avian-concealing tights (worn under his trousers, evidently) around his ankles, pigeon-parcels still in position. Priceless.

But here comes the deal-breaker. Police also found what the BBC reporter covering the story described as an "undeclared aubergine".

Utter cock, as usual

So, here's the thing. I was just writing the post below when I discovered that the gist of it had, in fact, been debunked.

It turns out what happened to the Daily Express story in question can actually be done by anyone to any content on their or the Daily Telegraph's websites. Slightly disappointing, given that I'd invested a good - oh, I don't know - 3 minutes of my life on coming up with something to say about it, but fun nonetheless.

See Dr Ben Goldacre's Bad Science blog post on the matter a-here.

And now the story of a man who truly deserves a performance-related bonus and a fat expense account.

Today the Guardian's brilliant Media Monkey reported on the carefully-chosen words of a certain Daily Express web editor who, in constructing the URL for a fairly preposterous story about how seven or more cups of your coffee a day could be bad for your health (hold the phone...a mere seven?), summed up the feelings of not only himself but probably a few million others out there.

Mr Monkey summed it up thusly - but for the impatient here's the Daily Express story right off the bat.

Keano is back...who saw that coming? Oh.

As so the White Hart Lane revolving door continues to spin. Following hot on the heels of Jermain Defoe and Pascal Chimbonda, Robbie Keane has returned to his rightful home in N17. Must be the Arry Effect.

Snow, snow...literally shed-loads of snow

Just as I thought I was getting over not being in the mountains, hurrah! It started snowing like nobody's business. Thank you, Mother Nature. I awoke at 6am to go to work and made it about as far as the bus stop. Here's the view from my front door:

By the time the sun had its hat on the back garden was looking like an ever-more tempting opportunity for a spot of 'urban skiing'.

Quite how I was going to build up any momentum on a surface that is about as flat as the Netherlands, I don't know. I never actually got as far as unlocking the back door.