In the Papers This Morning

Been in a Cemetery Lately?

Maybe more recently than you think. It seems folks have been disposing of assorted relatives at any number of unlikely places. Say, Disneyland or your local country club. Thanks to the miracle of modern cremation technology, grandpa can be reduced to manageable size, placed in a handbag and popped over the side while the family enjoys the Pirates of the Caribbean. Talk about your "E Ticket" ride. The Times fills in the details for you here.




There's nothing so dreadful, so drab,or so drear
As to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer. . .

World-wide oil shortages. California's water level is dangerously low. And now this:

A global shortage of hops and rising prices for every other ingredient in the brewing of beer.

"In the U.S., where one-fourth of the world's hops are grown, acreage fell 30% between 1995 and 2006.

Australia endured its worst drought on record. Hailstorms across Europe damaged crops. Extreme heat in the Western U.S. hurt both yields and quality."

Barley malt prices grew 10% to 15% this year.

The eschaton advances apace.