Sideswipe

Sideswipe gift recommendation #5: Vinyl Record Snack Tray (pictured above). The snack trays are created from 30cm vinyl albums featuring classic rock artists such as The Kinks and Fleetwood Mac. Perfect for fruit, chips, dry snacks, the shallow tray has the original label intact and protected with a clear mylar seal. (Source: www.modernartisans.com).

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The modern beggar: Seen in Queen St yesterday sitting on the footpath was a scruffy-looking male with a cardboard box at his feet which had "breakfast" written on the side. And what was he doing while waiting for enough funds to buy a modest breakfast? Listening to his ipod, of course.

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An electrical supervisor working on a large building project in the inner city resigned his job a couple of weeks ago to look for an exciting new role that paid more money. One smoko, as he was working out his notice period, he read the Herald job ads and called out to his mates: "Would you look at that. A job's come up in senior management in the construction industry, specialising in the electrical area. A hundred grand package! Who would have believed it. Just when I've started looking! It's the perfect job." Excited, he called the agency and asked what the job entailed. It sounded strangely familiar. Sure enough, when pressed, the agency admitted it was his old job, with the package rounded up to include a car and benefits. "You'd be surprised how often this happens," the consultant told him. So he's still looking for that perfect job.

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Terrance Alexander was fired by the Atlanta Police Department after he pulled a woman from her car, threw her to the ground, handcuffed and arrested her for stopping too long at the airport while she was picking up her 78-year-old mother. Alexander was not assigned to the airport but was working a second job directing traffic. The woman settled a lawsuit against the police department for $350,000, but a civil service board ordered the department to reinstate Alexander. (Source: Reason.com)