February 2008 Entries

February 27, 2008

Uh-huh

[found on Ananova]
Romanian cops have closed a vandalism investigation that left local houses in ruins by concluding ghosts were to blame.

Families living in Lilieci reported windows broken, bicycles flying through the air, objects moving on tables and candles blown out when there is no wind.

When they complained they were being hounded by evil spirits to police they were laughed at.

But after officers saw the evidence with their own eyes they filed a report saying that ghosts were to blame.

Mircea Hadimbu, 68, who says his house has now been completely wrecked, said: "The windows started to break one by one. I saw two bicycles moving through the air on their own."

His sister Melentina Bocancea, 78, who lives nearby, added: "There were cups flying around the house and candles I lit were blown out as soon as I put a match to them even though there was not a breath of wind in the house."

A police spokesman said: "There were bottles and things flying around. I did not know what to dodge first. We can find nothing to suggest it was anything other than what the people claim."

A priest has been called in to perform exorcisms of houses in the town in the hope that the attacks will finally stop.

February 16, 2008

Dealing with cold callers

I have been trying to sell my car this week, via an advert in Autotrader. Yes, my beloved Mini is moving on to a new life, having already been replaced by a nice sensible Audi estate.

The Audi has room for Verity and her travelling circus of detritus and is also comfy and quiet. Given that I am now driving 800 miles a week, comfort is essential.

So, the Mini for sale.

I have had a dozen phone calls, all of them from companies offering to sell my car for no fee. I allowed to first one to send me details of their service, which costs £90. So, erm, no fee then.

All of the calls were from similar numbers and with similar call centre background noise, but each one had a slightly different name.

The next call I politely declined.

The new few I gave very short shrift to.

Then I started getting annoyed:

"We have buyers already interested in your car"

"So tell them to read Autotrader and fuck off"

Click

---

"We can sell your car for you"

"I'm kinda busy right now. Give me your personal phone number and I will call you this evening"

"We can't give out personal numbers"

"You don't seem to have any problems calling mine, now piss off"

Click

---

"We offer a service matching buyers and sellers"

"What was your name again"

"David"

(camped up) "Hi David, you sound hot, could we meet later?"

Click

---

"There is no fee for our service"

"Tell me what you are wearing Karen, starting with your underwear"

Click

---

and after those last two the calls stopped.

February 11, 2008

Over to you, Brendan

After much thought we have decided to become foster parents, and to do so with a teenage. At this point you are probably thinking 'are they completely mad?'

Well, yes, probably. Despite being kinda busy with other stuff, like working and parenting Verity, we figure we would be quite good at sorting out a teenager.

It takes a long time to get approved for fostering, around nine months, and during that time we will find out a lot more about what it takes, and of course might get rejected. But if we do clear all the hurdles, and they don't manage to put us off along the way, we could have a new tearaway by the end of the year.

February 6, 2008

...and talking of onions

Jana's diet hasn't improved much.

February 5, 2008

No more tears

[found on El Reg]
Scientists have created an onion that won't cause you to cry using Australian-developed biotechnology to switch off the gene behind the enzyme that brings on the waterworks.

Using gene-silencing technology, the New Zealand-based research institute Crop and Food pioneered the breakthrough and hopes could lead to a prototype onion hitting the market in a decade's time.

Colin Eady, the institute's senior scientist, told the Herald Sun that the project started in 2002 after Japanese scientists found the gene responsible for producing the agent behind the tears.

"We previously thought the tearing agent was produced spontaneously by cutting onions, but they proved it was controlled by an enzyme," he said.

"Here in New Zealand we had the ability to insert DNA into onions, using gene-silencing technology developed by Australian scientists.

"The technology creates a sequence that switches off the tear-inducing gene in the onion so it doesn't produce the enzyme. So when you slice the vegetable, it doesn't produce tears."

Mr Eady said that by stopping sulphur compounds from being converted to the tearing agent and redirecting them into compounds responsible for flavour and health, the process could even improve the taste of the onion.

"We anticipate that the health and flavour profiles will actually be enhanced by what we've done,'' he said.

"What we're hoping is that we'll essentially have a lot of the nice, sweet aromas associated with onions without that associated bitter, pungent, tear-producing factor.''

The discovery has caused concern overseas, following an international symposium in the Netherlands and after the trade journal Onion World featured Eady's work on the front cover of its December issue last year.

Mr Eady, who has developed several model onion plants at the institute, said despite the excitement about the prospect of a "no tears" onion in every home, it would be 10 to 15 years before this was a reality.

February 1, 2008

Gnocchi gratin with figs

[found in Waitrose Seasons magazine]

500g fresh gnocchi
3 fresh figs
150g gorgonzola
100g taleggio
200ml half-fat creme fraiche
fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 200C, gas mark 6.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the gnocci. Cook for 2 minutes only then drain thoroughly and place in an overproof dish about 20cm sq.

Cut each fig into 6 pieces and scatter on top of the gnocchi.

Dice the cheeses and place in a bowl, add the creme fraiche and mix with a fork, mashing the cheese a little.

Spoons the sauce over the gnocchi and figs.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

Tear plenty of basil leaves and scatter over the top just before serving. Serve with leaf salad and fresh bread.