WORLDLY UNWISE

Ladies8217; vodka gives doctors a headache
MOSCOW: Igor Volodin believes vodka is no more harmful than chocolate. He is proud to be the first Russian to produce the spirit in a special women8217;s version, designed to be sipped with salad after a workout in the gym. Touted as a glamour product for upwardly mobile women in booming Russia, Damskaya or 8220;Ladies8221; vodka worries doctors, who fear a fresh wave of female alcoholics in a country already suffering one of the world8217;s worst drink problems. The Moscow Serbsky Institute for Social and Forensic Psychiatry says Russia has 2.5 million registered alcoholics, but adds the real figure is seven times higher8212;more than 10 percent of Russia8217;s population of 142 million. Adverts for the new 8220;Ladies8221; vodka show the elegant, violet-tinted bottle wearing a pleated white skirt which is blown upwards to reveal the label. 8220;Women need a drink of their own,8221; said Volodin, sitting next to an array of his 8220;Ladies8221; vodkas, which comes in lime, vanilla and almond flavours, or just straight for cocktails. 8220;Ladies,8221; launched in December, is produced at a distillery in St Petersburg and retails at around 12.5 in upmarket shops in big cities.

Pleasant surprise in a Portugal toilet
PORTUGAL: Customers at a Portuguese shopping centre are surprised by a sexy welcome in the mall8217;s toilets. Finding a model in lingerie as you walk into the toilet is not what you expect in a shopping centre, but visitors at the Eight Avenida centre in the conservative Sao Joao da Madeira city in northern Portugal are growing used to it. These models are in sexy outfits and suggestive poses in lingerie in both the mens8217; and ladies8217; bathrooms. Unfortunately the models in question are just mannequins. In the mens8217; bathroom, women mannequins dressed in lingerie or short skirts are behind a glass wall in front of the urinals. The male models who stare out of glass galleries in the womens8217; bathrooms have also been a hit, giving food for thought to some of the visitors. 8220;It8217;s certainly something different, and I find it suggestive, which is pleasant, 8220; said shopper Maria da Luz. Manager Jose Duarte said: 8220;People find it really funny, everybody wants to come and see it, and sometimes we see husbands blocking the mens8217; bathroom so that their wives can have a look inside.8221;

Guitar Heroes ready to rock like the Beatles?
NEW YORK: The latest sign of a video-game 8220;Revolution8221;? You soon might be able to plug in and play guitar in 8220;Sgt. Pepper8217;s Lonely Hearts Club Band.8221; Martin N. 8220;Marty8221; Bandier, the top executive at the music publishing company that owns the John Lennon-Paul McCartney copyrights, said he liked the idea of a dedicated Beatles edition of Guitar Hero, Activision Inc.8217;s popular video-game franchise. Activision announced last month that Aerosmith would be the first act with a dedicated version of Guitar Hero. 8220;It8217;s something we have talked about and something I8217;d like to pursue,8221; said Bandier, who last year took over as chairman and chief executive at Sony/ATV Music Publishing. The company has loosened its handling of The Beatles8217; music. Producers of American Idol for years had sought permission for contestants to perform Beatles hits on the show, but were turned down. That8217;s changed: Recent episodes have had an 8220;all-Beatles8221; format, which Bandier calls 8220;a wonderful way to get this legendary music in front of an audience of 30 million people in an exciting way.8221;
Reuters, LAT-WP