Interesting Facts

Video games in the UK will now be regulated under the Europe-wide PEGI (Pan European Game Information) scheme. (This means that the age rating system for video games will try to stop inappropriate games being sold to children under the age of 12 and give the industry more straightforward rules for rating games according to age. Up till now the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has provided 15 and 18 certificates, but the BBFC was never tasked with providing 12 certificates for video games, meaning it was technically legal to sell a 12-rated game to younger children, the changes mean anyone selling a 12-certificate game to a child under that age in the UK could be jailed. Parents can find out about the suitability of games on the website - www.askaboutgames.com.) Source Video games are good for you.

15,000 volunteers helped out at the    Olympics opening ceremony. (In addition there were  three cows, 10 chickens, and 70 sheep among the cast.  The whole thing cost  £27 million, but imagine how much more it would have cost without the volunteers.)

Sir Paul McCartney, Mike Oldfield, Dizzee Rascal, Frank Turner, Underworld and Emeli Sande were paid a nominal fee of  £1 for their performances at the Olympic Opening Ceremony.  (They had agreed to play for nothing, but h ad to be charged token fee to create a contract with the London 2012 organisers.  Ah - contracts and lawyers, they don't understand the word "volunteer".)

Today was the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London, and it didn't rain! PS - If you missed it be sure to check out the highlights on YouTube, some of it was a hoot. My favourite bits were:  The representation of the Industrial Revolution. The Queen being picked up by James Bond at Buck Palace and parachuting into the games. Mr Bean playing with the London Symphony Orchestra. Dozens of Mary Poppins floating out of the sky.

According to research published in the British Medical Journal, shift workers are more at risk of having a heart attack or stroke than day workers. (The researchers from Norway and Canada calculated that shift work was linked to a 23% increased risk of heart attack, 24% increased risk of coronary event and 5% increased risk of stroke. The researchers said that shift work can disrupt the body clock and have an adverse effect on lifestyle. I know that when my body clock is disrupted it has an adverse effect on hubby's lifestyle.)

Members of Egypt's Olympic team have allegedly been given fake Nike gear. (An eagle-eyed synchronised swimmer, Yomna Khallaf, said her workout bags had a big Nike logo in the front but the zippers had Adidas branding on them. Maybe it's not a fake, maybe it's industrial sabotage!)

Today is flying ant day in the UK. Oh and the first Olympic event takes place. You can decide which is most interesting.