Sideswipe: Junes 9: Self promotion at its best

Count down to fury

"Yesterday I did my groceries at Countdown, Paeroa," writes a reader. "After paying, the lady said I pulled my card out too fast, even though I was sure it all went through, sweet. So she made me do my pin and stuff again. This morning I checked my bank and they charged me twice! So I called Countdown Paeroa and spoke to a rude lady who told me it was a bank error and Countdown wasn't liable; to call my bank and they would sort it. I called my bank and they explained it's not an error, and that Countdown charged me twice, and its two separate transaction references so Countdown is definitely in the wrong. Called the supermarket back and as I started explaining what the bank said, [the same woman I spoke to previously] laughed and then hung up on me!? I'm so mad right now. $120 isn't a small amount of money and if my bills bounce I'll get charged dishonour fees!"

Bigfoot find on rocky ground

Rock or Bigfoot head?

A bigfoot enthusiast in Utah has had the good fortune to discover what he says is a fossilised Bigfoot skull (right). Todd May says he has previously spotted Bigfoot in Ogden Canyon twice before and the creatures have thrown rocks at him. "It had the same facial structure as the creatures I had seen," he told the Times Record News. On the other hand, Jesse Carlucci, a geoscience professor, insists that the object is absolutely a rock. (Via boingboing.net)

Torturous route to wealth

A TV show called The Chamber essentially put contestants in a torture chamber and forced them to endure horrendous conditions to try and win US$100,000. They only aired three episodes - on the US Fox network - and only one contestant ever made it through all seven rounds of torture. There were two chambers to choose from - one hot and one cold. Which sounds worse? In the hot chamber there were temperatures starting at 43C and increasing to 66C, real flames getting bigger as the game progressed and muscle contractors strapped to the limbs. They upped the ante with simulated earthquake tremors (Richter scale 5.0 to begin, going up to 9.0), with wind gusts of 64.3km/h and foul odours were piped in as oxygen levels dropped. The cold chamber didn't sound any better. Temperatures beginning at -1C and decreasing to -29C. Muscle contractors and simulated earthquake tremors, but also water jets squirting the contestants, causing ice to form on their bodies. Additional ice blasted at the contestant with the same wind gusts of 64.3km/h and falling oxygen levels. Contestants were wired up to heart and blood pressure monitors and they could yell "Stop the Chamber!" if they hadn't passed out. Go here to see a clip of an episode...

Stupid tweet of the day.

Drug company news: "Touting the new offering's full-bodied flavor and bold, fruit-forward bouquet, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer unveiled a vintage cask-aged variety of its popular cold medicine Robitussin on Friday. Labeled as Robitussin Reserve, the high-end over-the-counter cough remedy is reportedly being marketed toward a more affluent segment of consumers with acute upper respiratory symptoms. Company officials confirmed the select Cough & Cold blend has been prepared in a limited run of 100 barrels and retails for $39.95 a bottle." Read more here.

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Got a Sideswipe? Send your pictures, links and anecdotes to Ana at ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz