KEY POINTS:
Greg from Dargaville was visiting Noel Leeming in Whangarei last Thursday when he overheard a young dishevelled-looking chap discussing his purchase of a new PS3: "I'm getting home detention," said the young man. Says Greg: "I trust he also got Grand Theft Auto for a bit of professional development, while he undertakes that alternative to prison for his crimes."
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The word "British" can be as offensive as "negro", says a leaflet from the Caerphilly council in Wales. The leaflet suggests to the council's 9000 workers words and phrases that are not to be used to avoid causing offence. "The idea of 'British' implies a false sense of unity - many Scots, Welsh and Irish resist being called British and the land denoted by the term contains a wide variety of cultures, languages and religions." The leaflet also warns that "half-caste" implies "a person is not whole and so should be avoided" and that "negro" has "racist overtones".
(Source: Daily Mail)
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In response to Pam Salvador, who is concerned about the hygiene ramifications of people letting their children sit in supermarket trolleys wearing just a nappy. "Never mind the raw meat, blood, dust, spilt milk, sticky food, rotting vegetables or bird visitors as the trolley sits outside, unwashed, in the sun for most of the day. And once you have paid, handling dirty money or a well-pressed eftpos keypad, that nappy is the least of your worries. But there is a real danger of the trolley tipping over with the child in it - a much better reason not to ignore the supermarkets' warning signs."
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A reader writes about the department store query in yesterday's Sideswipe: "Linen is linen. Manchester is a place. No one talks about linen as manchester any more, do they? If she'd asked for manchester in Christchurch, most people would think of the street notorious for its sex workers."
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Kiwi-born country music star Keith Urban performed a surprise set for reporters at the Daytona 500, where he was the featured artist for Sunday's pre-race concert. "First time playing a press room," he quipped before launching into Sister Golden Hair by America. Urban said he was not trying to one-up previous guests Big & Rich, Bon Jovi or Brooks & Dunn, but played because "I just wanted to get in my comfort zone". He laughed awkwardly when asked what his favourite racing movie was. "Cars?" he stammered, choosing the animated movie over Days of Thunder, which featured his wife Nicole Kidman and ex-husband Tom Cruise. Later, Urban and Cruise attended the pre-race driver meeting, where Cruise heartily applauded when Urban was introduced.
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Today's Webpick: An Australian sexual abuse charity group airs an uncomfortable television ad this week, showing the father of a bride making a wedding speech. Tasteless or a message with impact? View here.
These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.
