Table talk
That's entertainment?
Authorities in New York are charging a bar owner for holding a dwarf-throwing competition. Police and agents of the State Liquor Authority raided Long Island's Odyssey bar, which had about 200 customers inside. The 3ft stuntmen don't face charges because it's their living, police said. The contest was abandoned without a winner.
Officers said contestants paid $10 (£7) each to throw a stuntman. There was an undisclosed cash prize for the person who achieved the longest throw. Detective Bruce Pescitelli said the practice was illegal in New York State, but not in some other US states. Bar owner Tony Alfano faces up to $600 (£421) in fines if convicted. "They had an area of the bar where they had put two air mattresses, and the dwarves, or midgets, whatever you like to call them, wore protective helmets," the officer said. "Two dwarves were being tossed."
General Junk's last stand
Persuading children to eat more fruit and vegetables is a battle teachers and parents have fought for years with minimal success. But the British Psychological Society's annual conference in Blackpool heard last week that a video of four fruit- and vegetable-loving characters may provide the answer. The "food dudes" are having the same effect on schoolchildren as Popeye once had on spinach consumption. In the 1920s spinach became the third most popular food among US children after ice-cream and turkey. A six-minute video shown in schools here depicts the food dudes saving the world from General Junk and his army of veg-hating "junk punks". It has increased schoolchildren's fruit and vegetable intake considerably.
A sensation of lightness in the wallet
Russia introduced its latest entry in the space race last week: a mini-shuttle that for £70,000 a seat will give tourists three minutes of floating in zero gravity. The company claimed that 100 candidates had already signed up for the one-hour flights. The S-XXI holds a pilot and two passengers.
Archaeologists log a dead horse
A press release from Travelodge says that Bronze Age people were the first humans to stay at a hotel site in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. Archaeologists called to the site also found a kiln and green glazed pottery dating from the 14th century. But the most recent find, from the 19th century, has intrigued the archaeologists the most: two complete skeletons of ponies. "We can only guess that the animals, which may have been working ponies, were probably buried where they died," said Gary Brown, project manager of the dig.
Animal passion
The story of Stephen Hall, the goat-loving chef from Hull, has been all over the newspapers, but that's not going to stop us mentioning it here. However, being the serious trade magazine that we are, our first thoughts were: "I really hope he washed his hands" and "I hope he's aware of the dangers of cross-contamination". The incident has, however, made us examine our new personal column more closely for anyone who says they're looking for a Capricorn.
