Sideswipe

Jae Frew shot this last month on a publicity shoot for TVNZ. While they were waiting for Helix Motorsport host Geoff Bryant to arrive, this gentleman rolled up next to their prop.

Greg Reid from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry responds to yesterday's picture story about the poor little pigs squished into the back of the ute. He says: "Although it's difficult to make an accurate head-count, my assessment suggests there might be a breach of the minimum standards code for the transport of pigs, which details the minimum square meterage per pig based on animal weight. Also, as pigs are prone to sunburn, they should be protected from the sun as well. This punter could easily be in breach of the Animal Welfare Act. Folk who see this type of dodgy animal activity should record as much info as they can and call the MAF animal welfare hotline, 0800 327-027."

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Just another windy day in Wellington: On Air NZ flight 434 yesterday morning the captain told the cabin crew to "prepare the cabin for one of those landings".

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Three best Golden Globe moments:

1. British actor Hugh Laurie, who despite his inability to pull off a convincing American accent, managed to win a gong for his role in medical drama House. Laurie tells the Washington Post he had 172 people to thank, so wrote all their names on slips of paper and said he would choose three at random. On the night he thanked the show's script supervisor, hair stylist and his agent.

2. A blink-and-you-missed it shot on scurrilous website Defamer of hard-man Russell Crowe chowing on a burger, apparently delivered to his table in a Styrofoam container. The menu offered Chilean sea bass for the rest of the industry wusses.

3. Dennis Quaid's misfire joke about gay love story Brokeback Mountain: Quaid said: "Our last nominated drama tells the story of two young cowboys who meet in the summer of 1963 and forge an unexpected, lifelong connection that proves the endurance and power of love. It's a controversial film. It's ... let's just say it rhymes with chick flick." Cue a barely audible ripple of laughter.

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Former US President Jimmy Carter tells GQ magazine in a January interview that he saw a UFO in 1969 in southwest Georgia as he was preparing to speak at a Lions Club meeting. He recalled that it was a bright light that got "closer and closer to us", but then changed colour to blue, then red, then back to white, and then "receded into the distance". (Source: Newsoftheweird.com)