KEY POINTS:
The Sydney Morning Herald's Column 8 is much impressed with Kiwi cricket captain Daniel Vettori. "He is a world-class spinner, a good bat, but above all else, a fine fellow. We like the cut of his jib. When it comes time to toss the black cap into the
locker once and for all, he would make a damn fine high commissioner. He would make his point in Canberra relentlessly, time after time, probing, niggling, until he got a good result for New Zealand, and, at the end of proceedings, everyone would think it was a fair thing. Well played, that man."
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Yesterday Sideswipe reported that police in Torbay, Devon, are giving drunk women jandals so they don't break their ankles on the way home. Now police in Bolton are handing out bubble blowers to distract punters leaving the pub from getting into fights. The bubble blowers, which double as pens, will be handed out on Saturday nights this month. The council says bubble pens are a great idea to keep things light-hearted.
The TaxPayers' Alliance disagrees: "This is bonkers. People want the police fighting crime, not handing out nursery school gimmicks. If this money isn't needed it should be given back to taxpayers."
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Beware of ATM machines, they can bite," warns Carol Bassett (see above). "I became distracted while withdrawing some cash at an ASB machine in Sylvia Park. It didn't swallow my card but sure tried to eat me, leaving me shaken with a painful, bleeding finger. The staff were helpful but surely these machines could be made safer."
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The inauguration ceremony of President-elect Barack Obama on January 20 is expected to attract up to five million visitors to Washington DC - more than eight times the city's population - says Slate magazine. Rental accommodation is hard to find, so residents are rushing to rent their homes to strangers. A three-bedroom house in nearby Virginia reportedly leased for US$57,000, and Craigslist.org lists more than 1000 classified ads for housing with the keyword "inauguration".
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A reader writes: "If timing is everything, how can it be that as we look forward to a thrifty Christmas, the St Lukes $2 Shop goes into liquidation? According to the Herald public notices, the liquidator - who it can be safely assumed charges more than $2 an hour - took control of Simply Two St Lukes, formerly known as The $2 Shop St Lukes, at 11:05am on November 28. Dead before its time, surely."
Today's Webpick: A new way of looking at Christmas. Watch the cliphere.
These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.