London Parlor Offers Breast Milk Ice Cream

A London ice-cream parlor has started serving breast milk ice cream called Baby Gaga, reports theGuardian. The delicacy, which retails at $20 per scoop, is made by infusing breast milk from human donors with Madagascan vanilla pods and lemon zest. No Ben and Jerry's-style excess here, say the shop's owners—they just want the natural flavor to shine through. "The response has been amazing," said Icecreamists owner Matt O'Connor, who notes the shop sold out of their first batch. O'Connor currently taps his supplies from 15 willing donors, who are paid $50 per pint. A further 35 have signed up to be milked, though they must go through a health screening first. One food critic described it as a "regular vanilla ice-cream" with a "goatish" aftertaste. Some people find the idea repellant, says O'Connor, though it's unclear why drinking from another species' breast is any less so. "People at first say it's disgusting because it's a bodily fluid, but so is cow's milk," he said.

Read original story in The Guardian | Monday, Feb. 28, 2011

Russia Finally Admits That Beer is Alcohol

(From Slate, 2/24/11):

The Russian government recently embarked on an alcohol crackdown. But until now, beer has eluded its grasp. That's because brewski was (perhaps appropriately) categorized as a foodstuff, allowing brewers to avoid new regulations being rolled out to curb excessive drinking in Russia. On Tuesday, the lower house of the Russian parliament endorsed a bill to classify beer as alcohol. If the Kremlin-backed measure passes, it will limit beer sales at night and bar brew from being sold near schools. Though beer is not Russia's traditional alcohol of choice, it's become quite a problem for a people accustomed to kicking back vodka. "With a historic penchant for strong spirits," writes Reuters, "many ordinary Russians regard beer as a soft drink." Beer consumption has tripled in Russia over the past 15 years, although it still lags behind the United States. With Russians downing 32 pints of pure alcohol each per year (over twice the max amount recommended by the World Health Organisation), the nation's alcohol habits are having a severe effect on its population growth. In light of these problems, officials from the ministry of health are cheering on the bill. "Normalising the beer production market and classifying it as alcohol is totally the right thing to do and will boost the health of our population," said the ministry's specialist on alcohol and drug abuse.

Read original story in Reuters | Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011

Want to pack heat on campus? Go to school in Texas

Click on this link to read a Sarasota Herald-Tribune article (2-21-11) about a new law in Texas that will allow students to carry concealed weapons on campus.  Supporters of the law believe it will enable students to defend themselves against Virginia Tech. style massacres.  Detractors worry about gunfights on campus over grades, relationships, etc.

Unidentified "blob" found floating in Gulf of Mexico

A large blob of strange, dead but organic material was found floating in the Gulf of Mexico off the panhandle of Florida.  Click on this link to read the article from the Sarasota Herald Tribune.  Some suspect that it could be a mix of the oil and dispersants from last summer's fire.  Or perhaps other man-made chemicals from the Mississippi River chemical plants have added to the mix.  Is this the first of many such weird concoctions we may see floating our way?