Sideswipe: Cracking start to the week

'This cracking photo was taken by my husband at Ruapehu,' says Niki Cowie.

During a stint as a travel agent after 9/11, Andrew remembers a woman wanting to buy a ticket to Sydney's Mardi Gras gay festival. "After she claimed her name was 'Tyla' and that she had no surname, I warned her that she would not be allowed on the plane if her ticket did not match her passport. It turned out that 'her' name was Brian."

* * *

While walking down Broadway in Newmarket, Dane noticed Rodney Hide's bright yellow car with "RODNEY HIDE" written on it. "It really was Rodney Hide, plus he was texting. I guess he's just living it up until the ban on November 1."

* * *

According to Anthony Smith, the electronic sign outside Takapuna Normal Intermediate School in Northcote Rd has this message displayed: "Teahcers only day 24 August."

* * *

For more than 200 years, when anyone in Marlborough, Wiltshire, fell ill it was easy to know whom to turn to: Dr Maurice. Members of the Maurice family have served at the local medical practice since 1792. But after six generations of Dr Maurices, the last of the line, Dr David Maurice, 59, is preparing to retire. His son, James, has just qualified in the profession but is planning to spend his career as a hospital doctor. (Source: Telegraph.co.uk)

* * *

Brian Rogers, owner/editor of the Weekend Sun, writes: "Thanks for the free plug in Sideswipe of Ask Angel's clairvoyant column in the Weekend Sun. It's a joke, of course. A very old one. Sorry, Raewyn, when Angel took a holiday, we couldn't resist. She's having a great break, but then, she knew she would."

* * *

Japan is facing an ageing population and a shortage of nurses, but is ready to fill the gap with Riba (Robot for Interactive Body Assistance), a robot which can pick up and carry people weighing as much as 61kg. The machine, which looks like a bear, has long, multi-jointed arms embedded with tactile sensors that help it lift and carry humans. For safety purposes, Riba's body is covered in a soft skin moulded from lightweight foam and the arm joints yield slightly under pressure - much like human arms do.

* * *

View today's Herald cartoon

* * *