Read the full story at BBC News


Oct. 28, 2003
Banish Bone-Dry Birds This Thanksgiving: Deep Fry Your Turkey Instead

Brian's Belly, New York-- How many times have you sliced into a tasteless, bone-dry turkey on Thanksgiving wishing your fowl had not run afoul in the oven? This year, try frying your bird instead.

"Frying is one of the best ways to get a moist, delicious turkey in a really short period of time. The skin will be crispy, the meat will be juicy, and -- depending on how you marinate it-spicy," says David Lauterbach of BriansBelly.com, a web site that extols the joys of food and the men who eat and cook those dishes.

"Deep frying a turkey is not difficult, but like all good cooking endeavors it requires some hardware, preparation and care to do it right," says Lauterbach.

Brian's Belly Commentary: Aside from Yahoo News, you can also read the full release here and our guide here.

Read the full story at Yahoo News


Beer For Blood

Associated Press, DURANGO, Colo.-- Sounds like a fair trade: blood for beer. United Blood Services of Durango, Colo., held an unusual blood drive this weekend.

Donors got a free pint of beer for a pint of blood. Four area breweries took part in the promotion.

Read the full story at Newsday.com


Oct. 20, 2003
Apparently, Only Men Wear Beer Goggles

by Michael Madigan-- Beer goggles have always been valued by men who become enamoured of homely looking ladies simply by consuming several glasses of their favourite beverage.

From the day beer was brewed men have lurched happily in pursuit of women pledging eternal devotion. From the second day beer was brewed, men have emigrated to far-off lands after discovering women snuggling beside them wearing engagement rings and large moustaches.

Sadly, research from the University of Vienna now suggests the beer goggle phenomenon is not a reciprocal arrangement. While men only need a six-pack to make a life-long commitment to the psychopathic parolee with the skin condition, a homely looking male remains just that to a woman, even if she's just drunk the brewery dry.

Read the full story at news.com.au


Pabst Brewing Wins Medals at Great American Beer Festival

San Antonio, TX (Business Wire)-- The Pabst Brewing Company won five medals at the 2003 Great American Beer Festival Competition, the largest national beer competition that recognizes the most outstanding beers produced in the United States today.

Old Milwaukee and Old Style Light won prestigious gold medals at this year's event. Old Milwaukee reinforced its claim as "America's Best Tasting Beer" by winning the top award in the American-Style Lager category. For the first time, Old Style Light received the gold medal in the American-Style Light Lager category.

Read the full story at Business Wire


Oct. 19, 2003
Stretchers Get Beefed Up To Handle Obese

Wilmington, Ohio (AP)-- The sharply rising number of obese Americans is leading medical-equipment manufacturers and ambulance crews to supersize their stretchers.

Manufacturers are adding thicker aluminum frames, bulkier connectors and extra spine supports to create stretchers with a capacity of 650 pounds, instead of the standard 350 to 500. Ambulance crews are switching to the heavy-duty models to avoid injuries to rescue workers and patients alike.

"If the stretchers aren't big enough, a person may fall off. It's a disaster. Or if the stretcher collapses, it can lead to injury for them or the attendant," said Dr. Richard Atkinson, president of the American Obesity Association.

Read the full story at CNN.com


Oct. 16, 2003
Fat Americans Getting Even Fatter

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Americans are not just getting fatter, they are ballooning to extremely obese proportions at an alarming rate.

The number of extremely obese American adults -- those who are at least 100 pounds overweight -- has quadrupled since the 1980s to about 4 million. That works out to about 1 in every 50 adults.

Extreme obesity once was thought to be a rare, distinct condition whose prevalence remained relatively steady over time. The new study contradicts that thinking and suggests that it is at least partly due to the same kinds of behavior -- overeating and under-activity -- that have contributed to the epidemic number of Americans with less severe weight problems.

Read the full story at CNN.com


Miller's Non-alcoholic Brew Contains... Alcohol

As a precaution, Miller Brewing Company is issuing a voluntary product recall for 12-ounce cans of Sharp's non-alcohol brew sold in 12-packs in several Illinois counties. The recall covers no more than 850 12-packs of Sharp's non-alcohol brew in 12-ounce cans distributed after August 15, 2003.

Because of a filling error, some of these Sharp's containers may contain alcohol. Miller, in cooperation with its distributors, is taking aggressive steps to retrieve the affected product from the market.

Read the full story at Safety Alerts


Oct. 12, 2003
Jailers Steal Inmates' Money, Buy Beer, Throw Jailhouse Kegger

By The Associated Press-- Three jailers are behind bars after sheriffs say they made a beer run with money they stole from a prisoner, then shared a brew with an inmate.

Lt. Jim Andrews said the men took money from a prisoner's locker Tuesday night.

"They then went to a convenience store and purchased alcohol," brought it back to the jail, and drank it, Andrews said.

Read the full story at ABC13.com


Beer Companies Soak Cubs Fans

By Dave Newbart-- The nation's two biggest breweries raised prices in the Chicago area this week by 2.7 percent, prompting grumbling from bar owners that the price hike was timed to take advantage of fans enjoying the Cubs' playoff run. Beer prices typically go up each year, but not until November, in time for the holidays, which can account for as much as half of annual sales.

"The holiday is a month earlier because of the playoffs,'' complained George Loukas, owner of the Cubby Bear Lounge, which sits across from Wrigley Field.

Anheuser-Busch raised the price that retailers have to pay wholesalers for beer from $14.70 a case to $15.10, according to the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association. That 40-cent hike represents a 2.7 percent increase. Miller Brewing also raised prices by 40 cents per case, according to the association, which represents 1,000 bar owners in Chicago.

Read the full story at Chicago Sun-Times


Oct. 02, 2003
Confused by the California Recall? Vote Beer

Brian's Belly-- Kelly P. Kimball may or may not want to be the next governor of California. Kimball, who is running on the ballot with the ten thousand or so other Californians in the recall election that will be held on October 7, represents the "ButtMonkey Beer" party.

In a recent interview, the candidate for governor had this to say about the upcoming free-for-all:

"If you're looking for a leader, a visionary who has all the qualities necessary to take our really bankrupt state and bring it back to prominence, then, for the love of God, don't vote for me.  However, if you find yourself in the voting booth that Tuesday, and you have no idea why you got there, then I may be an option."

Kimball and his cohort Scott Mednick at ButtMonkeyBeer.com are clear about their unclear mission: "Our platform is beer. Our message is beer. Our solution is beer. This is not politics as usual. For the love of God don't vote for us."

With campaign slogans like "When your state is over $38 billion in debt there's only one thing to do... DRINK" we think the candidate may be doing just that. We also have no clue if there is an actual ButtMonkey Beer. Real reporters might know, but not us.

Read the full story at ButtMonkeyBeer.com