Sideswipe

Closed all hours? Or maybe not. Anyone figure out exactly when they are open?

A reader is loving the latest Nike gimmick. "We've been told for years that athletes need air-cushioned soles, support for the arch of the foot, inflatable airbags inside the shoe (Reebok Pump), even plastic springs in the heels (Nike Shox). But now Nike tell us that their latest offering, Nike Free, mimics barefoot running, as running barefoot apparently strengthens the athlete's foot. Well, which is it, guys? Strengthened, padded and cushioned, or thin and flexible?"

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Animal rights activists in Croatia have blasted a new reality show on the web where viewers vote on which sheep to save from slaughter. In the show, seven sheep in a house are filmed non-stop as famous writers come in and read them their works. Viewers then vote on which of the sheep will be kicked out of the house. After the 'eviction' the sheep has to be 'adopted' by a viewer or it is sent straight to the slaughterhouse. The man behind the show, Sinisa Labrovic, said: "I'm not torturing animals. I just wanted to show how people are used in reality shows and become nothing more than sheep." (Source: Ananova.com)

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French actor Gerard Depardieu has just released a version of his personalised cookbook in English. Among many other things, the actor hates fast food, and his preferred breakfast is jellied rabbit with a glass of cold white wine. "My eye will roam with equal pleasure over the face of a beautiful woman as it will over the cuts of meat displayed in a butcher's shop window," Depardieu writes. (Source: Sydney Morning Herald)

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Another Under-reported Success Story in the Rebuilding of Iraq: "Abu Mustafa" (a nickname) is part of a small market of vendors of pornographic videos operating in Baghdad, according to an August Reuters dispatch, and sells about 50 DVDs a day, with movies from Lebanon and other Arab countries the most popular. "I tried lots of other jobs," he said, but this was the most promising opportunity (although he said the righteous Shiite Badr Brigade had threatened to kill him and his approximately 30 competitors in the Bab al-Sharjee neighbourhood). (Source: News of the Weird)

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Parent humour: A Labour flyer circulated in Helensville says: "From 2007 all 3 and 4 year olds at all early education centres (community and private) are fully funded for 20 hrs a wee."

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Northcote's new weather-resilient MP, Jonathan Coleman, followed up his Onewa Rd roadside campaigning with a stint out in the driving rain and wind yesterday morning, his umbrella blown inside-out, getting drenched, holding a sign thanking motorists for electing him. Nice touch.