Sideswipe

A classified ad that appeared in a United States newspaper.

Great to see former NZ cricket captain Martin Crowe helping Michael Campbell celebrate his US Open victory in North Carolina. Perhaps he was still trying to explain away those comments in a 2002 internet column which said: "Traditionally not many Maori make good cricketers because they don't have the patience or the temperament to play through a whole day, leave alone over a test match." Sound even sillier after Campbell's win at Pinehurst? At the time, Crowe told the Herald the words were a mistake and that the column had been "ghost-written" by someone who had not understood what he meant.

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Julie Atkins, 38, of Derby, England, featured in a BBC TV documentary on childbirth because her three daughters, aged 12, 14 and 16 all gave birth last year. She told the Sunday Mercury newspaper: "I don't care what people say about me. I blame the schools. Sex education for young girls should be better." (Source: News of the Weird)

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A reader writes: A friend of mine applied for a sales and marketing role with Fonterra and this was the reply she got: "Thank you for applying for the role of S & M Rep Helinsvill, unfortunately this role has been withdrawn due to a change in sercumstances. However we are looking for a Drinks Picker in Manakua for a fixed term of 8 week with an imediate start. If you are interested in this role please apply on line at www.mainlandcareers.co.nz. Again we are sorry for any inconviniance you may have been coursed."

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Sham or cliched Hollywood love story? Curiously, Katie Holmes was unaccounted for from April 11, when she first met Tom Cruise, to April 27, when she re-emerged as the love of Cruise's life. During that time, according to Fox News, she fired her manager and her agent, dumped a couple of friends and buddied up with the daughter of a Scientology-related family. But the oddest thing of all - reported over and over again - is the line that Cruise was the young actress' idol when she was growing up. All the internet-sourced publicity that used to run on Holmes before she met Cruise lists Tom Hanks as her favourite actor.