Category Archives: News
Pain at the pump
The next time you start to whinge about the rising prices of gas at your local gas station, think for a moment of the Brits.
Fuel prices are currently running £1.50 per litre of petrol (translation: gas) as fuel shortages are hitting the U.K. hard in the run up to Easter.
£1.50 per litre? What’s that in real money?
Well, one litre is equal to .26 U.S. gallons so we’re talking about roughly £6 per gallon. At the current exchange rate, that is an exchange of $9.50 a gallon. To fill a mid-size car with a 16-gallon tank, that’s $152!
By comparison, gas prices in the U.S. are averaging about $3.92 per gallon.
I guess the message is that gas prices here are bad, but not that bad.
Ripped from the headlines …
Take notes! This is appropriate acceptance award attire when you are presented with a Celebrity Mum of the Year award by a man in a fox suit representing Foxy Bingo.
The humor gods have been busy the past 24 hours. The proof is in the news headlines:
Exhibit B: Mother finally allows five-year-old son to have haircut after playground bullying
Exhibit C: ‘Batman’ keeps watchful eye on southern Slovak town
Exhibit D: The first unflattering, awkward and comical photo of the Duchess of Cambridge
And lastly …
Exhibit E: Everest is in the UK! Survey reveals Britons’ shocking lack of knowledge on their own country
(Yes, I know it’s funny to laugh at Americans’ lack of geography, but according to this study, 20 percent of Britons don’t know which countries comprise the United Kingdom and these weren’t pageant competitors.)
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Oscars dish
Was it just me or were the Oscars more tame (and more snooze-worthy than usual) this year?
But a big congrats to Christopher Plummer for his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. I haven’t seen “Beginners” but it’s moved up my short list of films to watch pronto.
Read the rest of this entry
When cops chase themselves …
As the probationary officer from Sussex Police searched the area for suspects, the camera operator radioed that he had seen someone 'acting suspiciously' in the area. Photo credit: Alamy
A Facebook friend from Hawaii posted this fantastic story from The Telegraph yesterday. I love how hilarious news stories can travel the globe.
In this one, an undercover Sussex police officer “chased himself round the streets” for 20 minutes after a CCTV operator mistook him for suspect. Read the full story here.
My FB friend said it best: “Cue the Benny Hill music.”
British twins news!
Edith Ritchie and Evelyn "Evie" Middleton turned 102 last November.
A big congrats to the two British sisters who have been recognised as the world’s oldest living twins by the Guinness World Records this week. Did you see the news?
Edith Ritchie and Evelyn “Evie” Middleton hold the world title. They are 102 years old and live in Aberdeenshire. They both have never travelled outside the U.K.
When asked her secret to a long life, Edith said: “Simple living, hard work and a good husband.” 🙂
Sweet breads!
Does this make me look fat?
Have you heard of breading? The Daily Mail reported on it yesterday and I have to say it might be the best thing I’ve ever seen. I know it’s quickly becoming a global phenomenon and is not exclusively British, but I couldn’t resist.
As an aside, I’m sure Brits would use a nice farmhouse loaf for this kind of thing.
Happy Burns Night
Haggis, clapshot and whisky sauce. Photo credit: BBC Food
Happy Burns Night!
Today is the day to celebrate the life and work of Scottish poet Robert Burns. It’s an evening to eat, drink, read great poetry (including my favorite Burns poem), play the pipes (particularly when “piping in the haggis” before sitting down and enjoying it) and finishing the night with a wee scotch. I have fond (but fuzzy) memories of Burns Night in Scotland, thanks to the gracious hospitality of Scottish friends who were keeping with tradition.
Check out a typical running order of the evening. I’ve always been particularly impressed by how scripted this dinner at home can be.
And if you have no idea what to cook for Burns Night, BBC Food has compiled an array of appropriate dishes (including some vegetarian options for the offalphobes in the house). Personally, I’ve only ever eaten the vegetarian version of haggis (and it really was delicious)!
The year of Kate
Photo credit: Reuters/Kieran Doherty
Have you heard?
Experts (who exactly are these “experts” I do wonder…) have already predicted that “Kate” (as in Middleton) will be a big buzzword in 2012.
I guess that’s not too surprising considering she is the Duchess of Cambridge and that the future king of England will be theoretically springing from her loins and all … not to mention the fact that she has the greatest hair ever (it’s gotta be extensions, right?!) and a razor-sharp eye for purchasing clothing on a budget that still looks like a million pounds (That’s a talent, y’all … and yes, I did just use y’all for added emphasis.)
* Breathe *
Here’s the predicted buzzword list for 2012, as reported by the Daily Mail. You’re welcome, America.
1. Kate: There are seven billion humans on the planet but sometimes it seems that it’s all about Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge
2. Olympiad: The Greeks measured time by the four-year interval between the Games, held in London next year
3. Middle Kingdom: There is little indication that China’s continuing economic surge will fade from the global media spotlight – or abate
4. Bak’tun: A cycle of 144,000 days in the Maya ‘Long Count’ Calendar This bak’tun ends on December 21, 2012, also being called the Mayan Apocalypse
5. Solar max: The peak 11-year sunspot cycle
6. The Election: No Obama-mania this time around, more of an Obama-ennui for the November 6 elections
7. Deficit: Looks like deficit-spending will plague Western democracies for at least the next decade
8. Rogue nukes: Iran and North Korea will be the focus of attention here
9. CERN: Neutrons travelling faster than light? The ‘God Particle’? The world ending in a mini-black hole? All these somehow revolve around CERN (The European Center for Nuclear Research)
10. Global Warming: The earth has been warming since New York was covered under a mountain of ice; what makes 2012 any different?
11. Near-Earth Asteroid: Yet another year, another asteroid, another near-miss.
12. Europe: United, breaking apart, saving the Euro, abandoning the Euro, with the UK again as an ‘interested onlooker’
Source: Global Language Monitor
The Royal Christmas card
Have you seen Prince Charles and Camilla’s Christmas card this year?
The front of the card features the Prince of Wales’ crest and Camilla’s cypher. But inside is this photo jewel of Charles, Camilla and the Camilla’s 3-year-old granddaughter Eliza Lopes on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The message simply reads: “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.”
Personally I was hoping for a Christmas letter.
And on that note, I wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas and New Year!
The name game
John Corbett played Carrie Bradshaw's former flame Aiden in "Sex and the City." Aiden is the No. 1 boys' name in the U.S.
GIRLS
1. Sophia
2. Emma
3. Isabella
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Lily
7. Chloe
8. Madison
9. Emily
10. Abigail
BOYS
1. Aiden
2. Jackson
3. Mason
4. Liam
5. Jacob
6. Jayden
7. Ethan
8. Noah
9. Lucas
10. Logan
By comparison, the UK’s top baby names were released a few months back and Olivia and Oliver took the #1 spot.
GIRLS
1. Olivia
2. Sophie
3. Emily
4. Lily
5. Amelia
6. Jessica
7. Ruby
8. Chloe
9. Grace
10. Evie
BOYS
1. Oliver
2. Jack
3. Harry
4. Alfie
5. Charlie
6. Thomas
7. William
8. Joshua
9. George
10. James
It seems that there are a few cross-over names: Emily, Lily, Olivia and Chloe. But what about the boys? Apparently, that’s a harder sell. Brits don’t want to name their boys Logan or Mason and Americans won’t touch Alfie or Oliver.
I should add that the Daily Mail reported last month that adjectives are predicted to be the next big baby names in the UK. Names like Happy, True, Noble, Brave, Strong, Loyal, Loving, Sunny and Golden are going to be big, people.
I guess that beats Doc, Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey and Bashful.
BRITRISH.COM 