AMONGST OTHER THINGS -----

Not at all surprised with the contents of this week-ends newspapers - the release of TONY BLAIR'S BOOK, the outrage over the proposed Burn A Koran Day, the POPE'S VISIT to England - no, what surprised me was what was not in the papers.

The end of an era? Here in England, Friday night saw the end of BIG BROTHER - not just the end of the series but the end of the show .....  forever (or not as the case me be. I have the feeling some other company will take over the format). Anyway, I digress. Normally huge news, this years BB failed to get many inches of column space throughout the series but I thought as it was the final, the Ultimate BB, where we got to vote for our favourite housemate of all time it may have made the front pages in some of the newspapers. Alas, not a mention. Shame when you consider just how popular this programme once was.

OK, so now we know what wasn't in the papers, what was?

In the Daily Telegraph:-

Booker shortlist 'is a cliche'. Leading authors have criticised the Man Booker Prize shortlist because half of it is made up of novels written in the present tense.

Philip Pullman, the author of the His Dark Materials trilogy said: "This wretched fad has been spreading more and more widely. I can't see the appeal at all. To my mind, it narrows the options available to the writer."

(While) Philip Hensher, whose novel The Northern Clemency was Booker listed in 2008, said writers were mistaken in thinking that the present tense would make their writing more vivid.

"Writing is vivid if it is vivid," he said "A shift in tense won't do that for you." - Laura Roberts. (To view the Booker nominations list 2010 click HERE and to see my review of The Long Song by Andrea Levy which is one of the nominated click HERE.)

Know the man who has everything ........... or are you indeed THE man who has everything? OR perhaps you are just sick of buying/receiving handkerchiefs/socks and ties as gifts? Whoa, steady on there. Sick of buying/getting ties! Think again. I bet you have yet to buy/receive one of these .........

A tie that allows you to sleep on the job. Weary office workers can now snooze at their desks in comfort using a necktie that contains an inflatable cushion.

The Pillow Tie can be blown up with one breath and, if the boss walks past, this ultimate 'office sleep solution' can be deflated in seconds - AND the soft blend of fabric won't leave telltale creases on the face. (Let's hope it doesn't make too much of a, err, 'wind being released' sound as it deflates. Yes, you all know what I mean, no use pretending otherwise.)

The tie, costing £14.95, goes on sale in Britain next month (Just in time for Christmas.)

Click HERE to visit the official site - it really is quite funny as the advert below, only one of several, illustrates.

From the Sunday Sun:-

An Armenian sweet factory has made a chocolate bar (knew I'd get your attention) that Guinness World Records has certified as the world's biggest.

The chocolate bar produced by the Grand Candy factory in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, weighs 4,410 kilograms (9,702 pounds).

And, last but not least, from the Observer:-

An 81-year-old man had to be rescued by lifeboat after he went out to sea on a rubber dinghy to recover a ......... wheelie bin.

The man had spotted his neighbour's bin being swept out to sea as gales and high tides hit the coastline.

But when strong winds took hold, he was blown a mile off shore before the coastguard was alerted.

Suffering from mild hypothermia, the man was not wearing a life jacket or waterproof clothing.

 The lifeboat crew then went back out to tow in the wheelie bin, which (and the reporting of this is what had me really giggling) was still half full of rubbish.

Very neighbourly, very community spirited, very stupid .....

 Many of us will have heard (perhaps even made) the jokes about the elderly 'uncle (why is it always the uncle?) who, having had one or two drinks, takes to the dance floor at the wedding. Arms wind-milling, in danger of knocking over anyone who comes within ten feet of him, he always takes centre stage. An embarrassment/ a huge joke? Think again.

 Dr Nick Neave of Northumbria University has revealed that he's spent a great deal of time researching the male bump and grind. (No, it's not what you are thinking. Dr Neave has spent a lot of time researching what makes a man a good dancer -  or not.) He took 30 men and recorded their dance moves to a simple drum beat with motion-capture technology.

The resulting films of the men dancing with mannequins (health and safety would not allow the use of 'real' women in case their toes were stood upon) were played to women who were asked to rate each figure's attractiveness.

(The conclusion?) 'Seductive' male dancing involved "strength, suppleness and creativity" - bizarrely running on the spot and windmill-like arm movements were all considered attractive by the female judges. "It is showing off but it really works," said Dr Neave. "What the dancer is saying is 'I'm young, strong, healthy and fit'. If you had had a drink, you might think (what an idiot?) 'he's interesting, I'll go and have a chat'."

Rather eerily, blood samples taken after the experiment confirmed the theory - the 'best' dancers were also the healthiest. - Ian Tucker.