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Poll: If Jesus were on earth today in bodily form, would he frequent bars and pubs to befriend "sinners"? A Daily Poll

A Tyneside pub has called time on one of its regular visitors after the premises were refurbished. Peggy, a 12-year-old mare, used to enjoy a pint of beer and a packet of crisps alongside her owner at the Alexandra Hotel in Jarrow. ............

I’ve heard of bomb sniffing dogs, cadaver dogs, and even hot dogs, but I’ve never heard of pub sniffer dogs. Where else but in Scotland would you find this rare canine breed? (A police operation has started in south west Scotland to send sniffer dogs into pubs to search for drugs. A total of 13 bars were visited by patrols in the Stranraer area as part of the initiative.) Going undercover requires the dog to assume the identity of the typical pub goer. Once it procures the confidence of the locals, it is free to search for drugs while the...

The Democrats held the vote open after they had lost. They strongarmed three Democrats, apparently, to change their vote to help create an extra layer of bureaucracy. Matt Blunt and other Republicans are yelling "Parliamentary Inquiry!" Republicans are asking why the Democrats changed the rule and then did NOT follow the rule

As the Mark Foley e-mail scandal unfolds, many experts say the Republican Party could lose control of one or both houses of Congress in the November elections. What would you like to see happen? I want the Democrats to control all of Congress. A split Congress with the Democrats controlling one house, the Republicans the other. I want the Republicans to retain control of Congress.

Ireland, land of Bad Elvis BY DAVE BARRY (This classic Dave Barry column was originally published on Aug. 6, 1995.) I recently spent a week in Ireland, and I can honestly say that I have never been to any place in the world where it's so easy to partake of the local culture, by which I mean beer. Ireland also contains history, nice people, enormous quantities of scenery and a rich cultural heritage, including (more on this later) Elvis. Geographically, Ireland is a medium-sized rural island that is slowly but steadily being consumed by sheep. It consists mostly of scenic...

Wrong people that are runing their mouth are in the spot light.

Kansas Prof. Apologizes for E-Mail 11 minutes ago A University of Kansas religion professor apologized for an e-mail that referred to religious conservatives as "fundies" and said a course describing intelligent design as mythology would be a "nice slap in their big fat face." In a written apology Monday, Paul Mirecki, chairman of the university's Religious Studies Department, said he would teach the planned class "as a serious academic subject and in an manner that respects all points of view." The department faculty approved the course Monday but changed its title. The course, originally called "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent...

A new translation of a little-known Mozart opera is to have its world premiere at a pub in North Yorkshire. Bastien und Bastienna will be performed at the Narrow Boat in Skipton by the Skipton Building Society Camerata. The 15 players and singers will be conducted by Ben Crick, 26, who has translated Mozart's original libretto. Money raised by the performance on Sunday 18 September will go to the appeal to restore the Grand Theatre in Leeds, the home of Opera North. Bigger works The opera was written by Mozart when he was 12 and, according to Mr Crick, is...

Cigar sellers argue for a smoking ban exemption WILLIAM LYONS wlyons@scotlandonsunday.com SCOTLAND’S independent cigar merchants have written to Health Minister Andy Kerr in a last-minute bid to have their shops exempted from the impending ban on smoking in public places. The letter, signed by Phillip Shervington, the chairman of the Association of Independent Tobacco Specialists, argues that it is essential for their business that clients are able to taste their products before buying. There are only 18 specialist tobacco shops in Scotland and it is hoped the small number can persuade the health minister to grant an exemption. The letter...

All six members of a pub darts team have been banned for life after being accused of making anti-homosexual jibes while playing against a side made up of homosexuals and lesbians. The three men and three women from the Bevendean Hotel in Brighton have been told by their league that they will never again be allowed to throw competitively. Players from the Bevendean - the runaway leaders of the mixed division of the United Darts League in Brighton - were accused of refusing to shake hands with their opponents or even to eat the food on offer when they went...

LONDON — A plan to let pubs stay open all night is stirring opposition in Britain — where the beer is still best served warm and before 11 p.m. Opposition lawmakers and the police want the new law to be delayed until Britain brings violent and disruptive binge drinking under control.

Things that go bump in the night Dec 15 2004 By Mike Chapple, Daily Post MIKE Chapple takes a tour of the city's haunted hostelries and comes across a few unexpected spirits..."FROM ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us.'These ye olde words of theWest Country Litany could easily be adopted by Liverpool's landlords as a prayer of their own.The city's pubs are riddled with spectres who seem to have a special liking for the city's centre.So in the Christmas tradition of telling ghost stories it was decided to...

British bars ban Burberry clothesFrom correspondents in London August 27, 2004TWO pubs in the English city of Leicester have banned men wearing Burberry clothing - a label once the marque of choice for many British gentlemen. The bars in the central England have introduced strict clothing rules, with anyone seen wearing Burberry's distinctive chequered pattern being refused entry, a spokeswoman said. The ban has been prompted because of the increasing fondness of British hooligans for the classic brand. The regulations also apply to items from another venerable British clothing brand, Aquascutum, as well as the Stone Island and Henri Lloyd...

From Monday prison cells and psychiatric wards will be the only workplaces where you can light up In McClafferty's bar in Letterkenny, under a cloud of smoke, Michael Breen lit something like his 60th John Player of the day and supped his Guinness. But the sight of a five packs a day man like Mr Breen in full puff in the snug will soon be as rare in Ireland as the plastic pub ashtrays which are about to become collectors' items. At midnight tomorrow the Republic of Ireland becomes the first country in the world to impose a nationwide ban...

Cheers to the pub with no chrome February 6, 2004 I was a fresh-faced erk in the Royal Air Force when I began my love affair with the pub. I learned how to drink and talk in the rough and ready bars down at the Belfast docks. In those days, a fellow didn't hang about when the Royal Ulster Constabulary came through the door at closing time. You put down your drink and left; there was always tomorrow. After my service in the RAF, I returned to my hometown of Liverpool to drink in The Cracke, where legend has it...

<p>DES MOINES, Iowa -- Want to know how Americans will vote on Election Day? Watch what they do the weekend before.</p> <p>If they attend religious services regularly, they'll probably vote Republican by a 2-1 margin. If they never go, they'll likely vote Democratic by the same margin.</p>

<p>Washington -- Was it Bakersfield Rep. Bill Thomas' famous temper? Or was it Fremont Rep. Pete Stark's famous mouth?</p> <p>The House came to a standstill Friday afternoon as agitated lawmakers put aside affairs of state to debate exactly why police officers had been summoned by Republicans to the stately hearing room of the Ways and Means Committee earlier in the day.</p>

With the news that the pub chain JD Wetherspoon is thinking of banning swearing on its 600 premises [report, 3 June], it seems a good moment to update this column's Bloody Good Pub Guide. Here are some of the notable hostelries: The Flaming Norah. A decent-ish traditional no-frills curser where you can enjoy a pint of Frobisher's Old Foul Mouth and join in some old-fashioned profanity with the locals. The place has recently been rather taken up by the young blaspheming set and on a Saturday night you can hardly hear yourself think a rude thought. Our verdict on the...

<p>There is growing fear among Democratic strategists that George W. Bush is making gains in their party's base, especially with minorities and labor. If true, this could be the most important political sea change in America in 70 years.</p> <p>Donna Brazile, the black turnout specialist who ran Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign, has been telling the Democratic National Committee and anyone else who will listen, "don't take African-Americans for granted" because their loyalty is eroding and Mr. Bush is courting them aggressively.</p>