Sideswipe: October 27: Tricky treat

British journalist Mark Sparrow shared a horrifying image on Twitter Monday of this chocolate-covered brussels sprout.

Some parents take advantage of Halloween to prank their kids. If you're fresh out of ideas British journalist Mark Sparrow shared a horrifying image on Twitter on Monday of this chocolate-covered brussels sprout. Think about how that would go down when it came time to eat the haul.

Blazing a trail

As nine US states next month ask voters to approve some form of legalisation of marijuana, a new customer base for the product - pets - was highlighted in an October New York Times report. Dogs and cats are struck with maladies similar to those that humans report as cannabis success stories: seizures, inflammation, anxiety, arthritis and other pain and subsequent social withdrawals. The "high"-producing THC element cannot be used because it is notoriously toxic to dogs, but other elements in the drug seem to work well not only for dogs and cats but, by anecdotal evidence, pigs, horses, and domesticated wild animals. (Source: News of the Weird)

You're not the boss of me now. Claremont Grove in Wellington, aka Tossers Lane.

So that's why they're not talking anymore ...

The functional relationship of the Gallagher brothers ...

In 1996, during the recording of Be Here Now, Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher tormented his brother, Oasis singer Liam Gallagher, by moving furniture around and blaming it on ghosts. Apparently, Liam had a pre-existing fear of spooks even before his brother started tormenting him and Noel took advantage of that while making the record in a studio set on a remote farm. "We convinced him his bedroom was haunted," said Noel, "when he'd get up in the morning and go and have his breakfast, someone would go in and turn the pictures back to front, or f****** move a lamp beside his bed across the other side of the room." (the Mirror)

"How can that hoarding be painted, approved and assembled with such glaring errors?" asks Paul Garvin of New Plymouth.

Breathalyse your burger

The FoodSniffer is a device that connects to your phone and sniffs meat to tell if it's gone off. According to The Worst Things For Sale, it doesn't actually detect bacteria in your meat, but rather attempts to analyse the gas in the air around it. The manufacturers admit that it will read incorrectly if it's used near a gas stove (like the one in your kitchen) or in a room where alcohol is being consumed (also your kitchen.) And it's US$128 ($179), so, a bargain.

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