Sideswipe

* The best and worst of Sideswipe 2002 - 2004

Dyslexia joke debacle: Christmas joke fit for cracker:

Q: Did you hear what the dyslexic devil worshippers did?

A: They sold their souls to Santa.

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Follow-Up to the joke about the dyslexic devil worshippers: Then there was the dyslexic, agnostic insomniac who lay awake all night worrying about whether there really is a Dog.

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A reader writes with regard to a joke published in Sideswipe. "Dyslexia is a serious problem, and should be taken seriously. I have suffered dyslexia in the past, but with a lot of help I am now KO." Get it?

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Margaret Baker of Paeroa, however, was not amused: "The so-called jokes appearing in your column regarding people who are dyslexic are against the human rights of people who suffer with this problem, not to mention human decency. Many people who are dyslexic are extremely intelligent. However, whether they are or not, what right do you think you have to print such damaging rubbish. You, and your readers who submitted this rubbish, owe dyslexic people an apology."

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Douglas Ormrod of Glendowie writes in response to Margaret Baker's suggestion that jokes about dyslexia are an abuse of human rights: "Dyslexics of the World Untie. Ms Baker is right, many people who are dyslexic are intelligent (I have dyslexia and a PhD) but, much more important, we also have a sense of humour. I don't 'suffer' at all because I can't spell - just use the spell checker. Sideswipe is practically the only humour in the Herald - we need more not less!"

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Got arms and legs? Then quit your moaning: Sideswipe never made any statement saying or implying dyslexic people are in any way less intelligent than anyone else. These jokes are an amusing play on words that teach all of us not to take ourselves, or our afflictions, too seriously. No matter what physical, intellectual or social challenge we are faced with, isn't it better to be thankful for what we do have and not continue to focus on what we haven't?

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Hurrah for our global insignificance: despite massive worldwide publicity as we entered the new millennium a few years back, Britain's Sun newspaper was slow to cotton on to who gets the first light of the New Year. "A massive fireworks display blasted off the New Year in Sydney as Aussies were first to celebrate. The sky lit up over the Harbour Bridge and Opera House as 700,000 partied. Midnight came at 1pm our time yesterday because of the 11-hour time difference." The more highbrow Independent managed to get it right, saying New Zealand was first to greet the New Year, with a picture of the Sky Tower fireworks.