White Other

I was filling out a registration form recently to access information on a U.K. government website, when I was asked to indicate my ethnic group. You know the old saying that England and the U.S. are two countries separated by a common language? It appears we're separated by more than just that. Check out the list...

Which ethnic group would you describe yourself as being in?

White British
White Irish
White Other

Black British
Black Caribbean
Black African
Other Black background

Asian British
Chinese
Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Other Asian background

White & Asian
White & Black African
White & Black Caribbean

Other mixed background
Other ethnic group

Prefer not to say

This list tells you a lot about the U.K. and the history of the British Empire, doesn't it? I'm guessing the 2010 U.S. Census will have different choices.

Art Worth Getting Excited About

Art appreciation quiz: Which figure is over 300 years old, and which was placed on the hillside within the last week or two? Which is likely to be there 300 years from now?

From Spiegel Online:

D'Oh! A painting of Homer Simpson next to the 17th century giant carved into the hillside at Cerne Abbas, Dorset, in the United Kingdom has angered Pagans who regard the giant as a spiritual icon. The Simpson painting, showing Homer in his y-front underwear wielding a donut, was cooked up by the publicity team for the new film "The Simpsons," which opens in European theaters next week. Created using water-soluble paint, its creators said it would dissolve with the next rain. "It's very disrespectful and not at all aesthetically pleasing," Ann Bryn-Evans of the Pagan Federation told London's Independent newspaper. "I'm amazed they got permission to do something so ridiculous. We were hoping for some dry weather, but I think I have changed my mind. We'll be doing some rain magic to bring the rain and wash it away."

You can read more about the Cerne Abbas Giant here.

News You May Have Missed: Yorkshire Man Not Allowed to Buy Eight Pasties

No, not those pasties.

A pasty is a small savory pie with a filling of meat, potatoes, and onion. More about these coveted items can be found on Wikipedia.

But this isn't a cooking blog, it's a news item, and for that we turn to the U.K.'s Wakefield Express, which reports that a West Yorkshire man was threatened with the police for attempting to buy eight pasties at a supermarket. Apparently, the store has a limit of six.

Proving that British humor just sort of creates itself, check out the article here and be sure to watch the short video that accompanies it.