Sideswipe: Sweet dreams

Try to nod off in this sleeping bag beside Jaws. (Source: patchtogether.com) Photo / Supplied

Recession, what recession?

Justine Koning keeps reading about the recession and its effect on retailers, but her experience at a St Lukes surf shop tells her otherwise.

"I was on the hunt to replace my trusted black Havaiana jandals, which I was told were in a box out the back, awaiting approval from the big boss to make it to the floor and couldn't be sold yet because an unknown price increase had yet to be applied. Perhaps another retailer has a pair in a 39-40. I'd welcome the opportunity to make a small contribution to their turnover."

Low-ride straight to jail

Kimberley Senette, 23, in a New Orleans court only to support her charged brother, ended up being jailed for 10 days for wearing low-riding shorts which revealed her underwear.

Judge Steve Windhorst took a dim view of her knee-length shorts, which showed her pants and the top of her buttocks, and locked her up for contempt of court.

When the judge questioned her appearance, Senette said she had to remove her belt when going through security at the courtroom entrance. She ended up in handcuffs a row behind her brother, who got 12 years' jail for carjacking.

Cubic conundrum - in freefall

A German skydiver solved a Rubik's Cube while sitting in a rubber dinghy - as it plunged to earth from 4000m. Ludwig Fichte, 29, was filmed completing the classic puzzle while falling 1800m in 31.5 seconds. He then deployed his parachute and floated to the ground.

Fichte, from Dresden, said: "Solving the Rubik's Cube in freefall has been done before by three people, as far as I know. But I am the first to do it in a rubber boat. I want to skydive again - maybe to compete with another speedcuber sitting in the boat."

Bouquet for bus driver

Marion O'Kane, an inexperienced bus passenger, missed her bus (the 975 11.20am to Takapuna) by seconds yesterday morning.

"The next bus to Auckland pulled in and the driver heard my plight and, reaching for his radio, called the bus ahead and arranged a transfer at Onewa Rd. I am still overcome by the driver's helpfulness and going the extra mile for a damsel in distress!"

Today's Webpick: Sensational lyrics, a salmon long-sleeved shirt, rain on the window pane, candelabra ... all rolled up into a wonderfully over-wrought, synthed up parody of a 1980s power ballad.

Go here.



The new Sideswipe book True Life Laughs ($19.99) is out now. Buy it at all good bookstores or right here, right now at Fishpond.co.nz.



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