Did I just write that ridiculous pun on the Zummo’s unique, innovative, fantastic, citrus-pressing ability…?? Anyway, woke up to the feeling of an M4.4 mini-shaker this morning at 6:47. Nothing to get too excited about, but thought the Japan Meteorological Agency’s graphic (above) made it look somewhat significant. If natural disasters don’t cause you any concern, there’s the other cheerful news that N. Korea is “maybe, almost, kind of” ready to “maybe” fire the “is-it-ready-yet?-Taepong 2″ over our heads.

After a little bit of research on the net, I realised there are no pictures of the Taepong 2 because it appears nobody’s actually seen it assembled. NK has certainly been working on the parts, and they are certainly interested in having an arsenal of ICBMs (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles) – not only can they be used to work everybody into a frenzy of conditionals (might/may/could/may even), but, if they exist and they are launch-ready, they can sell them to Iran for some much-needed cash.

Don’t worry, though – Condi’s on the case: “I can assure everyone that it will be taken with utmost seriousness” is what’s being quoted by all the news outlets, but I seem to recall her also saying in her statement that “we’d have to wait until the event…” Now, that’s more exciting than a M4.4 jolt…

So, I was in one of my usual cafes the other day (there are a few I frequent, based on a combination of available outdoor seating space and position relative to the angle of the sun and an absence of sun-blocking buildings) – I’d ordered a cappuccino and, as I was waiting for it, I noticed a big, bright, green OJ machine.

Of course, as a well-trained consumer, I immediately needed to have a fresh-squeezed orange juice. Yes, there are lots of OJ machines (and I am generally not that excited about kitchen equipment), but as this one whipped into action, I was struck by the smooth, dual action mechanism and I needed to know more about the machine.

What I found out from the Zummo website is this: “It is the leader squeezer for its great yield and autonomy” with an “innovatory squeezing system“ that “admits fruits from 60 to 80 mm” (bad luck if you have a 90mm orange). I also found out that “its design and functioning atract the customers attention” – I guess I’m not the only one…