1. When a barber is snipping away at your hair, should you lose total confidence when he winces and says: “Oh, I’ve cut myself again”?
UPDATE: He’s now very much on my hitlist, as I have just realised he shaved part of my beard on one side of my face but not the other.
2. Why does much of Cork city centre smell like an elderly man who has wet himself and allowed it to dry?
The sea is an abundant source of energy and, with traditional supplies constantly fluctuating in price and subject to extinction, wave power could be an ideal solution for many countries (particularly Ireland). A good number of start-ups in the US and Britain have seen the potential business opportunities; Earth2Tech has a snapshot of 13 that are worth watching.
The Israeli city of Petah Tikva is building a DNA database to help reward and punish dog owners.
The animal is taken to a vet for a swab and the results are kept on file.
Owners who scoop up their dogs’ droppings and place them in specially marked bins on Petah Tikva’s streets will be eligible for rewards of pet food coupons and dog toys.
But droppings found underfoot in the street and matched through the DNA database to a registered pet could earn its owner a municipal fine.
It’s certainly a novel way of doing things. But, as one Slashdotter muses, ” I wonder what sin you had to commit in a previous life to find yourself the official dog poop examiner of Petah Tikva, Israel”.
The blue side of Manchester could be in for a massive cash injection after a UAE group signed a memorandum of understanding with the soccer club.
According to FourFourTwo.com, the Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment aims to make Manchester City the biggest club in the Premiership within four years.
The company is buying the club from the disgraced former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who will remain as an honorary director.
This looks to be another example of how the UAE capital is trying to diversify its investments as well as build its international standing. The likes of Saadiyat Island, which will be home to branches of the Louvre and the Guggenheim museums, will enhance its cultural reputation, while adding Manchester City to its investments, which also include the likes of Citibank, will give it some sporting credibility. The AD company has promised to buy players but only time will tell if it can deliver on its promise to make City a soccer powerhouse.
Update: Almost as a statement of intent, City have set a British transfer record by signing the Brazilian forward Robinho from Real Madrid for £32.5m (€39.8m, $58m, Dh213m).