I’m sure you all know about Google News, but I’ve just discovered it. What fun! I looked up “ice cream,” and here’s what I learned after reviewing the news in the world of ice cream:
The Top Ten Current Ice Cream Stories
1. Ice cream is just as prone as anything else when it comes to changing tastes.
- The Electric New Paper reports that in Singapore, a tree with a miraculous image of a monkey god on it is no longer the huge religious draw it used to be, forcing an ice cream vendor to close down his business.
2. The ice cream trade is far more violent than I had ever expected, living and working in the safety of Co. Kerry. A few examples:
- The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that a 19-year-old Richmond man was convicted today on charges that he shot and gravely wounded a Blue Bunny ice-cream vendor on a school playground parking lot in October.
- The Scotsman has a story that an ice-cream man who was gunned down as he served children from his van has complained of still being haunted by the attack.
- The Nevada Appeal: Henderson police say officers trying to issue a speeding ticket shot and killed a 42-year-old woman who they say took a knife from her ice cream truck and made threatening moves.
- The Telegraph has a story that an ice cream director was held hostage in France and only freed when the police stormed the building.
3. Ice cream could be a potential decider in USA politics.
- The Boston Globe: Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s fame has endorsed Barack Obama, the Illinois senator’s campaign announced today.
4. Gravity applies to chocolate sauce.
- The Telegraph reports that an upmarket ice cream parlour is refusing to pour chocolate sauce over its cones because of health and safety fears (they are worried that customers might slip on spilled sauce).Â
5. Never underestimate the effect of sweetening up your customers!
- The Boston Herald reports that Toscaninis, a venerable ice cream firm in Cambridge, MA, had its assets frozen by the Internal Revenue Service and was on the verge of bankruptcy before it was saved by customer donations.
6. A certain natural sweetener is potentially endangered.
- CNN Money talks about how the widespread disappearance of bees is impacting on ice cream companies. Haagen Dazs is taking up the fight.
7. Ice cream theft (as tempting as it might be) is still theft.
- The Maui News declares that the students arrested in the theft of ice cream from their school will be charged with second degree burglary.
8. You can make ice cream out of snow, but avoid yellow patches!
- The Leader talks about the traditions and potential hazards of making ice cream from snow.
9. You don’t need racing cars for a Grand Prix.
- The Sanremo News announces the Grand Prix del Gelato Artigianale in May, so if you’re in Italy, you can taste lots of ice cream and find out who will be this year’s champion gelato maker.
10. If you’re in the ice cream business, pray for a heat-wave.
- The Herald (South Africa) reports that the sales of ice cream and bottled water have soared amid summer sizzler.
Ah, that has me dreaming here in the cold of February. Heat-wave? That’s not likely to happen any time soon. I bet that statistically there’s a better chance of a monkey god appearing in a nearby tree… And, by the way, any US Presidential candidates are welcome to come to Dingle or Killarney for an ice cream if they are looking for an endorsement!
