Sideswipe: May 23: Surprising security force

Security in Northland has gone to the dogs.

Listing to happiness

Positivity can be an uphill battle, but this Redditor says following this advice changed his life ... "In a journal, write down the three most positive things and one most negative thing that happened 'today' at the end of every day. At the end of the week, review and make a new top 3/1 list. Repeat at the end of the month. Do that every month, and then compare the months at the end of the year. Two things will happen: 1. You'll start looking for positive things, so you have something to write about at the end of the day. I believe this is the core of being happy. 2. Reviewing your happy memories is fun, but reviewing your negative moments each week will show you how trivial most of the negatives were, and that even the big tragedies don't hurt so much over time."

Chicken 'things'

"Chicken 'things' are $10/kg more expensive than other chicken 'bits'?"

Useless information

1. Back in the 1800s, composer Franz Liszt was worshipped like a rock star. In fact, he received so many requests for locks of his hair that he eventually bought a dog, and cut off bits of its hair to send to admirers.

2. In 1907, an ad campaign for Kellogg's Corn Flakes offered a free sample of cereal to any woman who would wink at her grocer.

3. The dot over your lowercase "i" is called a tittle.

4. Londoners in the 1600s were advised to keep "fart jars" - consisting of trapped fart odours - on hand to combat bubonic plague. The idea was that the potent smell would somehow purify the air.

5. The modern popped collar originated as a way to keep tennis players' necks from getting sunburnt.

That would be stressful

That would be stressful. (Via Bad Newspaper)

Quick links

1. Cute as fail.

2. The right way to hold a cat, as explained by a vet…

3. The evolution of Hot Wheels cars.

Video pick

Fight all you want, but anaesthesia will always win...

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