A letter from the 9th century which was used by local officials to apologise to dinner hosts after any drunken behaviour has been found in China. Issued by the Dunhuang Bureau of Etiquette, the offender was supposed to copy the letter and deliver it to the hosts, with head bowed. The translation: "Yesterday, having drunk too much, I was intoxicated as to pass all bounds; but none of the rude and coarse language I used was uttered in a conscious state. The next morning, after hearing others speak on the subject, I realised what had happened, whereupon I was overwhelmed with confusion and ready to sink into the earth with shame." (Source: Letters of Note)
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Everyone's getting on the green marketing bandwagon: A brothel in Berlin has offered a discount to its green-conscious customers. Anyone arriving with proof of having used public transport or a bicycle lock key to show they pedalled there gets a discount on their purchase of service.
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A reader says: "There are a few things that happen every Christmas."
1. People moan that Christmas gets earlier every year.
2. Others complain that Christmas has lost its true meaning.
3. The merits of real vs fake Christmas trees appear on the news.
4. People complain it's become commercial.
In fact, it's always been commercial and Mary was known to say this when the Three Wise Men turned up with their cheap gifts. Make it your Christmas goal, enjoy your family and be kind to people."
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Says Damien: "I'm not sure what's going on at the Pascall factory. But it looks like they're clearing out all of the Jet Plane wreckage. The entire packet consists of the most mangled Jet Planes I've ever seen. Still in better condition than our Skyhawks, though."
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An on-to-it Herald staffer tells Sideswipe the two poor little Labradors needing homes are from Los Angeles. "The email seeking homes for Cookie and Coco has been in circulation since January 20, and the 'moving in two weeks' part was added in July. The dogs found new homes, in southern California. Check any email that includes the magic phrase 'Please send this to all your friends/everyone in your address book'," he advises. Oh, and the letter written on McDonald's letterhead and signed by "Robert Trugabe", outlining a secret plan to skim off more profit by leaving items out of drive-through orders, is also a hoax.
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The Police Ten-7 clip with the deadpan cop dishing out hot-pie advice to a teen has been put back up on YouTube by the folk at Screentime Television. Back by popular demand, they say. And not missing a beat, T-shirt purveyor Mr Vintage has already made a nice-looking shirt in homage to the local viral clip.
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View today's Herald cartoon
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<i>Sideswipe:</i> The shame of it all
Opinion by Ana SamwaysLearn more
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