KEY POINTS:
The I'm Harry T-shirt Project is gaining momentum on the web. "Join our campaign to support Prince Harry's determination to serve, and put two fingers up to the insurgents," says the website imharry.com. "Prince Harry's proposed tour of duty in Iraq is hugely controversial. The insurgents have apparently
put a £250,000 ($678,000) price tag on his head. His regiment and every British soldier serving in Iraq are at greater risk then ever before. Former Tory Cabinet minister Michael Portillo says it would be a disaster if the Prince were kidnapped or killed. There are enormous security considerations, a massive dilemma for the army and a ludicrous PR coup for the extremists. Hang on a minute. Whose side are we on? Are we scared of the threats and extremist propaganda? Prince Harry isn't, and neither are we. Let's back him up. Just like Spartacus. How will the extremists be able to tell the Prince from his colleagues? How will they know who the real Prince is?" A percentage of the money made from the T-shirts is going to an Army charity in Britain.
* * *
Cooking, Navy style. Reader John Oliver writes: "Years ago, my older sister was dating a sailor. One day we were in the kitchen, and he was boasting about how the Navy taught them to look after themselves - washing, ironing, cooking. He then asked if I would like him to cook me some bacon and eggs for lunch, and I said 'Okay'. It wasn't long before a black pungent smoke was pouring from the stove in my direction. Alarmed, I raced across, looked in the pan and saw this gooey black substance, upon which he was about to throw an egg. 'What on Earth did you use?' I exclaimed. 'This dripping' came the answer, as he held up the large block of Sunlight soap from the cupboard under the sink."
* * *
An Indiana man - who has not been named - spent 17 months behind bars for stealing a fizzy drink. It seems jail officials, his lawyer and the judge in his case all thought he'd been released a year earlier. Only after a new warden took over and ordered a review of all prisoners' files did anyone discover he was still in jail. (Source: Reason.com)
* * *
Tom Farhi of Manurewa writes: "Back in the days when Air New Zealand was getting off the ground it had all sorts of giveaways. Comfort socks, night shades etc. I wonder how I would go at getting mine on one of its planes today? It is stainless-steel letter opener engraved with "compliments of Air New Zealand".
* * *
Predictions for the year 2000 (from the Ladies Home Journal of December 1900):
* Prediction 14: Roses will be as large as cabbage heads. A pansy will be as large in diameter as a sunflower. There will be black, blue and green roses. It will be possible to grow any flower in any colour and to transfer the perfume of a scented flower to another which is odourless.
* Prediction 18: Wireless telephone and telegraph circuits will span the world. A husband in the middle of the Atlantic will be able to converse with his wife sitting in her boudoir in Chicago. We will be able to telephone to China quite as readily as we now talk from New York to Brooklyn. By an automatic signal they will connect with any circuit in their locality without the intervention of a "hello girl".
* Prediction 28: There will be no wild animals except in menageries. Rats and mice will have been exterminated. The horse will have become practically extinct. A few of high breed will be kept by the rich for racing, hunting and exercise. The automobile will have driven out the horse. Cattle and sheep will have no horns. They will be unable to run faster than the fattened hog of today. Food animals will be bred to expend practically all of their life energy in producing meat, milk, wool and other by-products. (Source: yorktownhistory.org)
Each day Sideswipe will link to a humorous, satirical or simply strange video clip selected from the infinite amount of nothingness hosted on YouTube and the like. The very best online videos will be carefully chosen and hosted on Ana's online magazine Spare Room and shared with Sideswipe readers.
