DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
PICTURE: https://yesweareactuallysendingachickensandwichto.space website.
• That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for…a Zinger burger. KFC has announced plans to send a chicken burger (known as a ‘sandwich’ in some lands) to the very edge of space itself with the aid of a specially made high-attitude balloon. The stunt, which comes after ads in the US featured Rob Lowe playing KFC founder Colonel Sanders and promising to send a chicken burger into space, does actually have a serious side, however. US balloon maker World View, which is partnering with KFC in the project, says the event will be the “longest controlled stratospheric balloon flight with a commercial payload in history” and will show that rockets are no longer the only way to get payloads to and from space. The launch window opens on 21st June. For more, head to the delightfully addressed website – https://yesweareactuallysendingachickensandwichto.space.
• The UK’s long had a tradition of unusual election candidates – remember Screaming Lord Sutch? So it was no surprise last week when among the candidates standing with PM Theresa May for the count results were Lord Buckethead, ‘Howling Laud’ Hope (who took over the leadership of the Monster Raving Loony Party after the death of Lord Sutch), and an Elmo impersonator. Outside the PM’s constituency, meanwhile, candidates included Mr Fish Finger, who was apparently so worn out by events that he needed a few hours in the freezer afterwards. And, in other news of interest from the UK election, the hashtag #DogsAtPollingStations made a comeback on election day with people across the country making their own fun by posting pictures of their dogs at the polling booths on social media. But it wasn’t just dogs who turned up – horses, rabbits, rats and even tortoises were all reportedly joining in the fun.
• And now to pizza news. A two kilometre long pizza has been made in California, setting a new world record for the longest pizza. The more than 7,000 kilogram pizza was made of more than 3,500 kilograms of dough, 1,600 kilograms of cheese and 2,500 kilograms of salsa. Meanwhile, in sadder news, the inventor of the controverial ‘Hawaiian’ pizza, Sam Panopoulos, has died at the age of 83. Mr Panopoulos reportedly came up with the idea of putting pineapple on top of a pizza after emigrating from Greece to Canada in 1954. “We just put it on, just for the fun of it, see how it was going to taste,” he said of the topping which was marketed in one of several restaurants he owned with his brothers. And finally, a Philadephia-based ice creamery, Little Baby’s Ice Cream, has come with a new pizza-flavoured ice-cream – apparently best served atop a slice.
