This 'n That

Taken from a variety of sources, the potpourri of stuff on this page is for the light-hearted. If you have a funny story to share send it to us, including the source of the story and we may include it here.

 Mikhail Ivanovich Kovtun, 59, of Moscow, was sentence to 30 months in a Florida prison. He was convicted of attempting to smuggle 98 pounds of caviar (value $40,000) into Miami. (Reuters)

The  Remote Lounge in New York City offers table telephones and joysticks controlling 65 cameras so patrons can zoom in and check each other out. (People Magazine)

North Dakota has the highest binge drinking rate. Maryland the lowest. *Newsweek- - -

Paul Harvey reported that a restaurant in France was sued by a woman who claimed she was served a live lobster which clamped a claw on her breast. She said her companion had to pry it loose. The restaurant claims that the lobster wasn't alive and slid off the plate when the woman stuck a fork in it. *1- - -

People who take the two-hour, 60-mile train ride on Friday nights southwest of Tokyo are given all the local beer they can drink. Stops along the way must be fully utilized, however, since the train has no toilets.

A  study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that men who drink for to five six-ounce cups of coffee daily are more than five times less likely to develop Parkinson's Disease than those who don't. The study involved 8,000 Japanese American men and was conducted over a 30-year period. *1 - - -

A single bottle of The Macallan 60-year-old was sold for the equivalent of $30,000 at McTear's Auction House in Glagow, Scotland. Macallan said it is a world record for a single bottle of whiskey. The unidentified purchaser is said to be from North America. *1 - - -

After 64 years of maturation, the world's oldest and most expensive bottle of single malt Scotch whisky has been released. Glenfiddich Rare Collection 1937. Only 61 bottles will be available at a price of $14,000 each. But, don't run off to your local retailer, all bottles are spoken for and may end up an auction house. *1 - - -

Italian scientists said heritage is rsponsible for about 40% of protruding stomachs. A Reuterd reports suggest: "drink, be merry, blame the beergut on your genes."

A caller to People's Pharmacy on National Radio claims poison ivy is subdued when dabbed with cotton ball soaked with vodka. *1 - - -

Sgt. Klinger made Tony Packo's hot dogs famous on TV's M*A*S*H. Packo's family in Toledo, Ohio, is feuding over his assets. *1 - - -

The averge cost of a small beer at a major league baseball games has soared 25% since 1998. (CNN Report)

The strong dollar reduced the value of U.S. wine exports to $541 million in 2001 despite a 3% increase in volume to 80 million gallons. California accounts for 90% of the exports *3 - - -

Malibu Rum is offering a free trip for two to anyone who returns Jenna Lewis's missing pink bikini. Ms. lewis and her bikini attracted considerable attention on TV's Survivor series. *1 - - -

Females took over bars and restaurants in Bogota, Columbia and ordered men to "Go Home!" Men were banned as an experiment since they are blamed for most violence. There was one murder compare to an average of five on a normal Friday night *Reuter

Russian Czar Nicholas II's order of 1907 Heidsieck and Co. Monopole champagne went down with its ship which was torpedoed by a German U-boat off Finland in November 1916.

Treasure hunters salvaged 2,500 bottles of the champagne which are now being offered by Cavier House, a Swiss luxury food company. The price: $4,000 a bottle. Wine experts advise that the bubbly will evaporate quickly after the bottle is opened. The ships cargo of cognac was not drinkable. *1 - - -

Bottoms Up In First Grade. Low-alcohol lagers and bitters will be served at lunch for two Belgian first grades this fall. Educators agreed that beer is better for the youngsters than sugary soft drinks. (Newsweek)

Business increased 50 percent when U.S. sailors hit Hong Kong according to Englishman Ben Wood, manager of Carnegies bar. He told AP: "When they come, they drink all day and they drink all night."

There are about 40 strip joints, pubs and discos in Hong Kong's red light district. Beijing in May banned U.S. military personnel from Hong Kong, apparently in retaliation for NATO's bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.
*2- - -

Newcomer Steven Eades was denied the right to serve beer with the steaming Chesapeake Bay blue crabs at his cafe` on Maryland's Smith Island (Population 350)

The county liquor board refused, by a 3-1 vote, to lift the island's 300-year-old beverage alcohol ban. Residents cited religious beliefs and the fear of beer-induced brawls. The nearest police officer is a 40-minute boat ride away, they said. *1- - -

Russians don't like to talk about The Battle of 1373. Tipsy Russian soldiers were easily vanquished by the Tartars and thrown into a river. It was named Reka Pianaya (drunk river). (Washington Post)

Mexico's per capita consumption of wine is less than 1/30th of the U.S. rate. The U.S. per capita consumption is less than 1/10th of the European rate. (The New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia).

There are no windows, no lights and blind waiters in a new pitch-black restaurant in Paris.

Newsweek notes that there is "much spilling, some food fights and at least one uninvited fondle. But for about $30, most find the evening worthwhile. *1 - - -

Twelve men between the ages of 20 and 35 were each publicly lashed 70 times in Tehran, Iran for harassing women, while two others received 80 lashes for drinking beverage alcohol.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School said their 12-year study revealed that diabetics who had one or two beverage alcohol drinks a day were up to 80 percent less likely to die of heart disease than non-drinking diabetics. - - -

When efforts failed to lower that landing gear, a British Airways pilot circled Liverpool for five hours to exhaust his fuel  and avoid a fire during a landing.
The Pilot tried to calm nervous passengers with jokes and light banter. He promised them a drink when they landed. After the airplane came to a screeching, rough stop on the runway, the pilot announced: "I'll see you in the bar." *1- - -

Steven Byler, 21, was sentenced to two months in jail and fined $250 for purchasing beer for an Amish youth whose horse-drawn buggy was chased for two miles before finally being stopped by Middlefield, Ohio police.

The youth has passed out with a blood alcohol content of 0.14 percent. (0.10 percent is intoxicated in Ohio) *1- - -

US Airways Chairman Stephen Wolf maintains a 1,500-bottle wine cellar at his farm in Virginia's horse country.

 Wolf and his right-hand man Rakesh Gangwal personally taste test wines served in the airline's first class section during Trans-Atlantic flights. US Airways pays Wolf and Gangwal nearly $35 million each annually, UP reported. *1- - -

Nevada's state Gaming Commission banned slot machines at laundries, car washes, liquor stores and restaurants without bars after Feb. 1. Existing slots are not affected by the rule. *1 - - -

A Carlton, PA. youth, 17, built a stainless steel still from a design he found on the Internet. Two girls, 16, became sick drinking the youth's concoction. No charges were immediately filed.

State police spokesman Craig Kidd said "I hope he gets an 'A' in shop if not science. He did a good job with this. It was a  pretty sophisticated still he put together with a very effective condenser. - - -

last updated March 2003

HOME

*1 Source: Beverage Journal
*2 Source: AP Wire Services
*3 Source: Wine Institute