Sideswipe: December 3: Naughtily brief view of Christmas lights

A naughtily brief view of Christmas lights.

Politically thick-skinned

Rhinoceros Party of Canada claimed to have an appropriate mascot, as politicians by nature are "thick-skinned, slow-moving, dim-witted, can move fast as hell when in danger, and have large, hairy horns growing out of the middle of their faces." Platform planks include repealing gravity, providing higher education by building taller schools, tearing down the Rocky Mountains so Albertans can see the sun set, abolishing the environment "because it's too hard to keep clean and it takes up so much space" and putting the national debt on Visa. Compare New Zealand's McGillicuddy Serious Party, whose policies included "full unemployment" and the introduction of chocolate fish as legal tender. "If you want to waste your vote, vote for us."

Strange but true

It would appear this Auckland company has lived up to its name.

The most wonderful time of the year ...

"Spending Christmas with my husband, son and the in-laws. We're weaning our son so mentioned in passing bringing his highchair so he can sit with us during Christmas dinner (if he's not napping or anything like that) he's very alert and active and gets upset if not being entertained. He loves being in his highchair and round the table and it's his first Christmas so we're a bit excited.

My mother-in-law has said we can't bring his highchair, as her other son's baby will only be 8 weeks old and can't sit in one and we can't leave out one of the babies on Christmas Day. I laughed thinking it was a bad joke, but no, deadly serious. We thought we'd deal with it on the day, but then had a text from 8-week-old's mum saying that mother-in-law had told her we were going to try and leave her child out and that she's not happy about it. Her baby will be the only one not in the Christmas dinner photos if we bring our highchair. I said well obviously baby can be held up in the photos.

Our son is at the age where he doesn't just nap constantly and wants to be involved and entertained and it's nothing to do with leaving her child out. It's totally ridiculous and my husband is now saying just to leave the highchair at home to avoid drama. I've never had any issues with the in-laws before and I'm mind blown by how stupid this is."