Sideswipe: Anything... well, almost anything

Photo / Elizabeth Anderson

Opinion

Not quite anything, eh? Sign in Georges cafe, Avondale.

I blame the parents

Researchers have found the most unusual names British parents have given their children over the past 10 years. Kids named Shy, Unity and Bean are the top three, followed by Zowie, Puppy and Ice. Also included are a handful of unusual hippy-style names such as Stone, Gift, Heaven and Echo, while the fashion world might have inspired the names Denim, Diesel and Armani.

Congratulations fall on dead ears

He was thought to be the oldest man in Tokyo - but when officials went to congratulate Sogen Kato on his 111th birthday, they uncovered mummified skeletal remains lying in his bed. Mr Kato may have been dead for 30 years, say Japanese authorities. The officials grew suspicious when they were told Mr Kato "doesn't want to see anybody".

Toys for the self-obsessed

A poll of 20,000 consumers has found the average Apple iPad owner is a self-centred workaholic who doesn't care about others. The study looked at what type of person is likely to have bought the $800 to $1350 device, and found that people who were wealthy, highly educated, sophisticated and selfish were six times more likely to own an iPad.

Ticket to high blood pressure

Carolyn is seeing red after parking in the Wilson's carpark in Durham Lane. "Under the supervision of the parking attendant I was dumbfounded when I returned after work to find a $60 ticket for 'Obstructing access'. Er, what am I obstructing exactly? Wilson's Parking Enforcement has yet to tell me. If the parking attendant didn't correct my 'parking error', then they are just generating their own revenue. I have even received a demand letter after they got my address via my registration." This stinks! Any lawyers have any advice for Carolyn?

Buying overseas a taxing process

Louise just got pinged $170 after ordering $460 of clothes from Australia. "After talking to UPS, it seems that imports that are worth over $380 incur GST, and if it's clothing it also incurs duty costs. Plus, there's about $50 of handling charges. I wasn't aware of this before ordering! I don't think stores should be required to know the other countries' customs prices but the Government should make the limit more widely known."