KEY POINTS:
Tis the crisis before Christmas. Auckland is apparently gripped by a shortage of Santa beards. A distressed Walnut the Clown, of Northcote, had scored a gig as Santa this year, but could not find a decent beard. He rang the leading supplier, Costume Magic, only to be told that a shipment bound for New Zealand had been lost in transit. Owner Kathryn Hart said other stockists also appear to have exhausted their supplies, leaving wannabe Santas in a spot with Christmas less than three weeks away.
***
More Christmas mayhem. A mother in the United States convinced police to arrest her 12-year-old son after he unwrapped a Christmas present early. The boy's great-grandmother had told him not to open his Nintendo GameBoy Advance, which she had wrapped and placed beneath the Christmas tree, according to a police report. But last Sunday morning, she found the box of the popular handheld game console unwrapped and opened. When the boy's 27-year-old mother heard about the opened gift, she called police. Two officers responded and charged the child with petty larceny, although he was not jailed. (Source: www.heraldonline.com).
***
Goats are just sooo last year. World Vision UK has included 35 new gifts in its alternative gift catalogue designed to aid the developing world. While it all started with goats, there are now more than 80 different gifts on offer, ranging from mosquito nets to help prevent the spread of malaria, through to a bore hole allowing hundreds of people in Zambia to get safe, clean water. Of course, you can still get goats, rams, pigs, chickens and oxen. Oxfam, meanwhile, are offering donkeys and alpacas. (www.worldvision.org.uk, www.oxfamunwrapped.com).
***
The world's only bald, Welsh-speaking, Elvis tribute act has been left all shook up after receiving death threats. Geraint Benney said he had been receiving the threats from extreme Elvis fans who claim he is showing disrespect to "The King". "Some people think my act is disrespectful because I am bald, but being bald makes me stand out," he said. "If Elvis were alive today I am sure he would have a good old laugh. Anyway, he might even be bald himself now because he would be 71." Benney said he had no plans to give up his show, which involves him cooking burgers on stage.
