Sideswipe: June 19: Sleazy romantic sparks flying

Sleazy romantic sparks flying.

The blurb from this romance tripe, published in 1998, yes not that long ago, reads: "Someone's deliberately setting fires in Durham County ... And firefighter Ray Minnetti has no choice but to team up with the newest member of the squad, T.J. — Tess — O'Connor. Not that he's got anything against women — he appreciates women, especially [those] who look like Tess O'Connor. He just doesn't want one in his squad. But the arsonist is getting more daring and Ray has to admit that Tess is exactly what her resume said she was — an outstanding firefighter. Now he is beginning to question the wisdom of having her as a partner for a very different reason. There are so many sparks flying between them, they're in real danger of starting a fire of their own."

Gender stereotype ads ban in UK

A ban on adverts featuring "harmful gender stereotypes" or those likely to cause "serious or widespread offence" has come into force. The ban covers scenarios such as a man failing to change a nappy or a woman failing to park a car. The UK Advertising Standards Authority said the review had found evidence suggesting that harmful stereotypes reinforced by some advertising, plays a part in unequal gender outcomes. Blogger and dad Jim Coulson dislikes ads that perpetuate stereotypes about dads being "useless". "It's the small things though that build up, and the small things are what inform the subconscious," he told the BBC. But columnist Angela Epstein disagrees. "There's a lot of big things we need to fight over — equality over pay, domestic violence, sexual harassment. But when you chuck in the fact that women are doing the dishes [in advertisements], it's not in the same sphere. When we lump it all together and become desensitised, we devalue those important arguments we need to have."

'Sanders' makes Grey Lynn

Richard Northey (left) and Bernie Sanders.

Richard Northey writes: "Saturday was my first out and about for our election campaign for the Waitematā Local Board. I was door knocking in Grosvenor St in Grey Lynn and at the second house the son was so excited that Bernie Sanders had come to their house to campaign for the Presidency."

Puns galore

1. I was wondering why the ball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

2. I renamed my iPod The Titanic, so when I plug it in, it says "The Titanic is syncing".

3. Last night, I dreamed I was swimming in an ocean of orange soda. But it was just a Fanta sea.

4. Two windmills are standing in a wind farm. One asks, "What's your favourite kind of music?" The other says, "I'm a big metal fan."