KEY POINTS:
"Anyone for lunch?" asks Simon Briggs who supplied this picture.
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A Sky viewer writes: "American Idol style home-voting competitions have been all the rage for the last few years. Well now the old diggers at the History Channel have finally caught up. But with this channel you don't vote for that cute beatboxing guy or the hot teen soul diva - you vote for your favourite Battle of World War II. Keen on Guadalcanal or more of a D-Day man? Midway more your thing or can nothing really beat out Stalingrad for thrills? You Decide! says the History Channel, which is running its vote throughout February. Winners get to sit and watch even more documentaries about World War II - with the top six battles featured at the end of the month."
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A reader would like to reply to Belinda, our friendly mainlander: "We received a warm South Island greeting when we stopped off at a coffee shop on the West Coast which I would like to share with my fellow Jafas. Attached to the till was a note that read (in brief)'ATT AUCKLANDERS we pay 0.05c/lt tax on our petrol to build your roads so we will charge you 50 cents extra on your cup of coffee to cover the costs of filling the pot holes in the parking lot.' Not sure how they could distinguish us from other New Zealanders, perhaps it's our accent. Coffee was purchased further up the coast as we travelled on the roads that Jafa tax paid for years ago."
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A remake of the Mr Men risks a diplomatic incident over new character Mr Rude, who speaks with a French accent. The character invites children to pull his finger - and then breaks wind, reports the Daily Telegraph. The makers of the new TV programmes claim it is not meant to cause offence but the English view of the French lacking a little politeness is well known. A spokesperson said: "Mr Men is a comedy show for four to seven-year-olds and is meant to be light-hearted. A source at the French embassy told the Daily Telegraph: "It is obviously meant in a light-hearted way but it won't improve Anglo-French relations."
(Source: Ananova.com)
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Matt Hancock preaches theory against practicality in suggesting that I substitute my 4WD SUV for an electric Prius for shopping, a Thames van for my work gear and use the Nissan only to tow my boat up a launching ramp, says Rex Sellar of Onehunga. "I have been known to drop the kids off at school on the way to a fishing trip and grab an ice cream on the way home - four functions in one. As for a large engine causing pollution, my well tuned SUV contributes far less pollution than a poorly tuned 2 stroke outboard motor. One size can never fit all."
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Mindless SUV bashing is becoming a favourite Kiwi pastime, says Andre Kurylo. "Having driven in many countries around the world, coming back to NZ road manners and driving aggression is an alarming and dangerous aspect of returning here. My wife and family will NOT be driving in a little tin can with poor visibility, unpublished safety ratings, lack of space and less than 100mm of metal around them.
Today's Webpick: The cast of Spongebob Squarepants revoice clips from three classic movies -- Casablanca, Singin in the Rain, and The Godfather. Watch it here.
These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.
