KEY POINTS:
The Sheep Chair is enough to put you off your roast. Artist unknown.
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Is wearing slippers a crime against fashion or something more serious? Schoolboys who get a telling off from the principal for wearing slippers in the style of rapper Snoop Dogg are getting off lightly by past standards. Under the Police Offences Act of 1927, a person could be deemed a rogue and vagabond if "found by night having his face blackened, or wearing felt or other slippers, or dressed or otherwise disguised with a felonious intent". The punishment was up to a year's imprisonment with hard labour. Auckland City Libraries' David Varran, who dug up the archaic law, said it was superseded in 1981 and he could find no mention of slipper wearing being a crime in the new act.
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Last Thursday morning about 9.10, Ronnie was waiting to turn right from Wyndham St on to Albert St while a young man crossed the road. "He was busy yakking on his mobile and strolling diagonally to the other side of the street when I saw his wallet fall out of his jacket that he had slung over his left arm. I hooted the horn to try telling him but he just gave me the finger. I then stopped my car and wound down my rear left window to tell him about his wallet, but he got aggressive and started swearing and gave me more fingers. I decided it was not worth my trouble and drove off. If you are the young fella who has found out your wallet is missing and you are reading this, serves you right!"
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Now that's inflation: A box of matches used to cost a penny ha-penny in 1967, says John Hillard. "Now an inner city convenience store has a price of $1.30 a box!"
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Britain's National Health Service has told Olive Beal it will take 18 months to get her the hearing aid she needs. Beal is 108. Some experts say she is lucky. The wait for a new hearing aid is often two years. (Source: reason.com)
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Emma points out that the sexist sign in Friday's Sideswipe from the New Zealand Sign and Display Association - which was showing off about signwriters' spelling skills - should have been checked for grammar. "Choose only a professional that can spell" should have read "Choose only a professional who can spell", she says.
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The issue of students standing on trains to allow their elders to sit has caused much feedback. Here's the last word on the subject: Rachel says she has seen a lot of younger people give up their seats for the older travellers. "If you read the sign it says 'for elderly or disabled'. But that doesn't mean we should give up our seats if you're 40 and having a midlife crisis." Todd, however, cuts to the chase: "If you pay tax then you have an opinion; until then you stand."
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Last week Sideswipe poked a little borax at North Shore mayoral candidate Andrew Williams for producing a key ring as a marketing idea. Williams subsequently bemoaned being publicly "maligned" and said the "slur" would lose him votes. But considering Williams beat incumbent George Wood by just 1700 votes to become the new Mayor of North Shore City, we think he's probably learned the first lesson of politics: All publicity is good publicity, especially when it's for the local body elections.
