KEY POINTS:
On the theme of dodgy real estate agent practices, how about this one from the latest Central Property Press, asks an anonymous reader: "If you look carefully at the power and phone wires that emerge from under the gable of the house you'll see that they disappear when they reach the edge of the roofline. Where could they have gone? Could they possibly have been Photoshopped out? I wonder what other little touches the agent might have made to sex-up this house ad? And I now wonder if a little Photoshop magic isn't applied to most house pictures. I guess it's not unreasonable to lighten up a dark image or tone down one that's too bright, but should physical features be removed (or added)?"
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Les Geraghty from L. J. Hooker in Cambridge agrees: dodgy real estate agents ruin things for the majority of agents who work long hours and endeavour to do the best by all parties. Here's how dedicated some are: "We are constantly frustrated by vandals who routinely smash our large signs that the agent must then replace at some expense. A year ago, a colleague from our L. J. Hooker office had two signs stolen from a vacant villa in a prestigious street in Cambridge. Our intrepid sleuth decided that he would camp down for the night with the new sign attached to his finger with a long length of string. Sure enough, the offender was collared during the early hours and subsequently arrested!"
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A newspaper editor from St Mary's, Maryland, is offering a coffin to the first person who dies this holiday season from a drink-driving accident in the region. St Mary's Today editor Ken Rossignol has posted the names of local people arrested on drink-driving charges in every weekly edition, but says people still aren't getting the "don't drink and drive message".
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What is an angel without wings? A Devon primary school has banned kids from wearing angel wings in its nativity because of health and safety worries. School officials fear pupils at Sacred Heart Primary who are carrying candles in the play could set the festive costumes on fire. Headmistress Linda Mitchell said the school made the decision after a "risk assessment", reports the Sun. In last year's nativity play pupils also suffered scratches from the wings.
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Mark Hoyle of Northland paid a visit to Cape Reinga, noticed the temporary loo in the temporary carpark and wondered what constitutes an emergency of this nature?
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Today's Webpick: A pole dancing lesson gets ugly. Watch it here. Scroll down.
These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.
