Where business is about buns in the oven ... Seen in Flaxmere, Hastings.
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A reader from the Bay of Plenty writes: "I know that in these recessionary times restaurants have to cut costs wherever they can. But Hospitality Today, a trade magazine for NZ hospitality professionals, may be going a bit overboard. Along with all the normal ads for things like portion-control chicken, frozen avocado slices and gaming machines, on the back cover of their autumn 2009 issue they've got a full page ad for dog and cat food! Diners will be glad to know, however, that the pet food in question is the finest available. According to the ad, it's "all natural", and was voted "one of the best pet foods in the world" by the Whole Dogfood Journal".
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After their 2000 Nissan Pathfinder was stolen, Lindsey and Mike Ryan of Chicago harassed the thief so much he gave it back the next day. Realising her cellphone was still in the car, Lindsey checked the phone account online. She noticed the phone had been used recently. "I clicked on call details and there it was! He was calling all his friends and family members," she said. She then began a reverse search of those numbers online, obtaining addresses for landlines, and began calling those numbers. "I called [what turned out to be the suspect's] godmother asking if she had seen a man with a green Nissan Pathfinder today," she said. "I learned the [suspect] was no man but a 14-year-old boy who told his godmother his aunt let him borrow her SUV. She gave me his name." The next day, Lindsey decided to call one landline number that had been dialled on her husband's phone 18 times. Over the next three hours, she allegedly called that cellphone number 38 times until eventually the car thief answered: "You're a crazy [expletive] for calling us 38 times, keeping us up all night. You can have your car back."
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Strange products: Baby Bangs, for the girl who has everything but hair, is another one of those baby beautification products (remember those collapsible baby high heels?). This time it's a headband with a fringe for bald little girl babies whose mother is neurotic about her being mistaken for a boy. Utterly ridiculous. (Source: Babybangshairband.com)
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"A great advert and wholly accurate for that city," says a reader. "Have you ever tried to walk in Dubai? Even at 6am it can be nearly 40C and higher. There's a reason the locals leave their cars' A/C running when they leave them to go to a store. Might not be environmentally correct ... but at least you don't die."
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See today's Herald cartoon
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Today's Webpicks: Every time anyone interviews Hugh Laurie from TVs House, they come up with the same old questions... click here. Plus, a couple of blokes have written a song protesting Nightline presenter Samantha Hayes dying her hair blonde. They preferred it red. click here.
These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.
