I'm quite partial to the occasional doner kebab but the reason I don't eat them that often is I am aware they contain masses of calories. It didn't really come as much of a surprise to me when I came across this article that a doner kebab contains an entire day's calorie allowance for an average person. That's about 2,000 calories in just one kebab. The average kebab also contains 98% of the daily salt quota for an adult. Surprisingly some of the kebabs sold as Halal also tested positive for pork  when it was not identified as an ingredient. I find this aspect slightly more worrying than the information about the calorie intake, we all know kebabs are bad for you and are best enjoyed in moderation but I think most people would like to know what's in the food the eat.

According to this article over a billion frogs each year are taken from the wild for human consumption. This figure was arrived at by analysing UN trade data although it appears that the global trade in wild frogs could actually amount to many more frogs appearing on our plates. France and the US are the two main importers of frogs but other countries in East Asia also consume large amounts of the creatures. With one third of all amphibians now listed as threatened species the article suggests that we might have to start looking at how many frogs are taken from the wild and limiting this number before we start to see a decline similar to the situation with global fisheries. Poor Froggies.

According to this article one in three workers in the UK have admitted to having watched porn on their computer at work. What is perhaps more surprising is that more than 33 per cent of those have managed to get away with it with only 7 per cent getting caught in the act. The survey was based on responses from 400 office workers. Amongst other findings were that 56 per cent had returned to work drunk after a lunch time session in the pub and 59 per cent had been ill in the office because they had a hangover. I do find the statistics on watching porn a little surprising especially as many companies will consider visiting porn sites whilst at a work an instantly sackable offence. I do wonder why you would feel the need to watch porn at work, its not that I have a problem with people watching porn, but I mean that's why you have a computer at home.

This article suggests that it could be a dark day for grey squirrels as black squirrels become the more dominant variety. Black squirrels are now rapidly wiping out their grey cousins in parts of Britain, much as the grey squirrel has already done with our native red squirrels which are now only found in a few remote locations. The black squirrels are thought to be descended from just one individual that was released into the wild about 130 years ago. Black squirrels are faster, fitter more aggressive and more territorial than the greys meaning that they can compete better for food and mates. According to the article this is the biggest change in squirrel demographics since the native red squirrels were almost wiped out by the grey squirrel 50 years ago. It seems the grey squirrel could now suffer the same fate.

If you like me have an ancient car then you might find this idea interesting. Under plans suggested by the EU Industry Commissioner car owners could be paid £1000 in order to scrap their old car in favour of a greener model. The scheme would be targeted at people who have a car that is at least ten years old. My beast certainly qualifies, it will 20 years this year. It still goes quite well for an old car, although I dread the MOT every April thinking it might be its last. £1000 would go someway towards me getting something a bit newer, so it will be worth watching to see if this idea comes to anything.

Sainsbury's have announced that they will stop selling eggs from battery hens making it the first of the big four supermarkets to do so. Under new EU legislation which comes into force in three years battery cages will be banned, but farmers will be able to use larger enriched cages. Sainsbury's, however, will do away with cages altogether and will also stop using eggs from cages hens in its own label food ranges. Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and the Co-op have already banned eggs from caged hen in their stores. I have been choosing eggs from what I call "running about chickens" for a long time because they tend to taste better, its good to know that only these eggs will be on sale in Sainbury's in the future.

I came across this picture today which likens the situation in one village to a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. The picture simply shows hundreds of pigeons which have descended on a village in the West Midlands. At one point there were so many that they turned the sky black as they landed. It is not known why there are so many of the birds but it is possible that it is due to the scarcity of food in the countryside during this years cold winter. Apparently they are no threat to people but they certainly look slightly menacing and they do remind of the movie The Birds.