He has been accused of blackmail, and described as "cursed" and having "zero" emotional intelligence in print by Tony Blair in a week in which his personality has been put under the microscope. But Gordon Brown's policy of dignified silence over the publication of his predecessor's memoirs did not last long.

In a statement tonight Brown broke his self-imposed embargo to set out his plans for the future. He chose not to claim back credit for the plans to make the Bank of England independent, nor did he attempt to stick the knife into Blair or defend those friends who took a drubbing in the book. Instead, he attempted to rebrand himself from bully Brown to Saint Gordon, by setting out how he and his wife Sarah intend to contribute to public life.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A doctor involved in an "on-again, off-again" relationship apparently tried to force her way into her boyfriend's home by sliding down the chimney, police said Tuesday. Her decomposing body was found there three days later.

Dr. Jacquelyn Kotarac, 49, first tried to get into the house with a shovel, then climbed a ladder to the roof last Wednesday night, removed the chimney cap and slid feet first down the flue, Bakersfield police Sgt. Mary DeGeare said.

While she was trying to break in, the man she was pursuing escaped unnoticed from another exit "to avoid a confrontation," authorities said.

DeGeare said the two were in an "on-again, off-again" relationship.

A chef in Texas has created what he claims is the world's first recipe for deep-fried beer.

The beer is placed inside a pocket of salty, pretzel-like dough and then dunked in oil at 375 degrees for about 20 seconds, a short enough time for the confection to remain alcoholic.

When diners take a bite the hot beer mixes with the dough in what is claimed to be a delicious taste sensation.

Inventor Mark Zable said it had taken him three years to come up with the cooking method and a patent for the process is pending. He declined to say whether any special ingredients were involved.

A guy walks into a bar with a $1.4 million Corot. Stop us if you've heard this one.

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot's 1857-58 "Portrait of a Girl" is missing, according to a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court. And the last man with possession can't recall where it is after a night of heavy drinking, the suit says.

"Really, you only need one pilot," he tells Bloomberg Businessweek in the Sept. 6 edition. "Let's take out the second pilot. Let the bloody computer fly it." What happens if the pilot has a heart attack? One member of the cabin crew on all Ryanair flights would be trained to land a plane. "If the pilot has an emergency, he rings the bell, he calls her in," O'Leary says. "She could take over."
...
Earlier this summer, he announced that he was planning to replace the last 10 rows of seats on his aircraft with 15 rows of upright "standing seats" -- vertical benches with shoulder harnesses and arm rests -- which would allow him to pack 30 more passengers onto each plane.
...
O'Leary now says that after taking a look at the drawings, he has decided vertical seats won't save enough room. Instead, he has a better idea -- replace the last 10 rows with a standing cabin, outfitted with various handrails, much like a New York City subway car, only without the benches and the panhandlers. The increased capacity, he says, would lower fares by 20 percent to 25 percent.
...
O'Leary downplays the threat that turbulence would presumably pose for standing passengers. "Yes, somebody could get injured," he says. "I don't say that lightly. But we'd do exactly what we do in every other case: `Ladies and gentlemen' -- BING, BONG -- `we're going to have some slight turbulence. Hold on to the rail tightly.'"