BACTERIA in sewage and urban run-off sometimes find their way into water
supplies. But where do the bacteria come from in the first place?
Researchers at Vanderbilt University were worried about the extremely high
levels of faecal coliform bacteria in streams in Nashville, Tennessee. Assuming
the bacteria came from human waste, they decided to compare four neighbourhoods,
two connected to the city sewer system, and two which relied on home septic
tanks. They expected to find evidence that septic systems had leaked or
overflowed into the local creeks. But to their surprise, they found no
difference between the four neighbourhoods, though they did find high levels of
bacteria in run-off from streets and lawns.
The probable culprits? Rover, Kitty and all their furry friends.
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鈥淲e can鈥檛 say with absolute certainty that pets, along with other urban
wildlife, are the cause of this bacterial pollution,鈥� said researcher Edward
Thackston, 鈥渂ut all the signs point in that direction.鈥�
Most striking was the fact that levels of bacteria rose in line with the
density of housing. The researchers put this down to the number of pets in
built-up areas鈥攗nless of course the citizens of Nashville have taken to
relieving themselves on their garden lawns.
UNDERSTANDABLY, the manufacturers of that great British condiment HP Sauce
are anxious that such a traditional product should cater to modern tastes and
mores. Hence the large panel that has recently appeared on the bottle proudly
declaring: 鈥�100 per cent natural, no artificial colours, no artificial
preservatives, no artificial flavours, low in fat, suitable for
惫别驳别迟补谤颈补苍蝉.鈥�
Tradition hasn鈥檛 been lost completely, though. The bottle also says:
鈥淓verything goes well with HP Sauce. Great for spicing up chips, bacon
sandwiches, sausages . . .鈥�
PRIME Minister Tony Blair made it clear that he had total faith in Britain鈥檚
readiness to enter 2000 without serious millennium bug problems. But even after
the government had spent so much money on making the nation compliant, it seems
a tiny little flicker of doubt remained in his mind.
We鈥檝e just discovered that the first press release sent out by the Downing
Street press office on 1 January 2000 was listed as an 鈥淚T鈥� release and
headlined 鈥淭est鈥�. And the content of the release? 鈥淭his is a test. Please
颈驳苍辞谤别.鈥�
NOWADAYS the demonstrations of safety procedures on airlines for use 鈥渋n the
unlikely event of an emergency鈥� are usually accompanied by pre-recorded
instructions.
On all airlines, it seems, these inform us that if jerking the cord on the
life jacket (only when outside the aircraft) does not inflate it to the
passenger鈥檚 satisfaction, then further action is possible.
According to British Airways, it can be further inflated by blowing into the
tube provided. KLM, on the other hand, tells us it can be further inflated
orally.
Australia鈥檚 Qantas airlines, however, seems to have taken the technology a
stage further. If further inflation is required, Qantas says, 鈥渢his can be done
manually鈥�. Puzzled passenger Sidney Alford tells Feedback that he asked a Qantas
stewardess about this. 鈥淢anually is the opposite of automatically,鈥� she
explained. Alford reminded her that manually actually means 鈥渂y hand鈥�, but this
cut no ice. 鈥淚t means do it with your mouth,鈥� she insisted.
Alford says that he has been trying to follow this interpretation in his car,
which has a manual gearbox. The effect on his driving has been dramatic.
WITH the supernatural films The Sixth Sense and End of
Days doing well at the box office, we鈥檝e been sent a report about a team of
spirits on the other side trying to communicate with earthly researchers through
seances.
According to the 鈥淪cole Report鈥� in Proceedings of the Society for
Psychical Research, no one was allowed to take an infrared or
light-intensifying camera into the seance room, in case they harmed the
spirits.
If this is true, then anyone plagued by spooks could presumably keep them at
bay with an ordinary security light and infrared sensor. This could prove far
more effective than garlic or crucifixes in banishing ghosts from a house.
Unless of course, the mediums don鈥檛 want infrared sensors in their darkened
rooms for some other reason.
READER John Lonergan recently bought a William Bounds pepper grinder that
came with the following guarantee: 鈥淵our mill is guaranteed against defects in
materials and workmanship. In addition, the grinding mechanism is guaranteed for
twenty-five years. This guarantee does not cover breakage or damage due to
normal wear, abuse or mishandling.鈥�
Feedback would like to know what breakage or damage it does cover.
FINALLY, baseball caps are sometimes disparagingly referred to as 鈥淚Q
reducers鈥�. One manufacturer seems to have taken this description literally.
On the label attached to a baseball cap that Ian Chapple was recently given,
Nike had felt to it necessary to start with the informative line: 鈥淭his article
was made for your head.鈥�