Sideswipe

Richard Fox writes: 'The ad for the new V6 Honda (above) says it resonates like the oesophagus of an infant feline. I think they mean it purrs like a kitten, but the oesophagus just lets out burps. Burps like a kitten the intelligent choice? Wow, I'll buy one.'

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That ain't no way to treat a lady growing a baby: A reader was happy to spend money buying eight $6 ice creams from Movenpick in Mission Bay last Sunday. Yes, that equals $48. One of them was for a pregnant woman who asked for a glass of tap water. And, guess what? She was denied a glass of water because the company policy is to sell mineral water, not to give free tap water. You'd think $48 of ice cream would've helped them bend the rules.

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A kilo of sand a day keeps the doctor away: An Indian grandmother says she eats 1kg of sand a day to stay fit and healthy. Ram Rati, 80, considers sand an essential part of her daily diet. Ram, who lives in Lucknow, told Asian News International: "When young, I tried it for fun once. Since then, I am used to it. My brothers and relatives pestered me to quit it but it was all in vain." Her granddaughter Shikha said: "The doctor said if she has no health problems, let her eat. We think it suits her health." (Source: Ananova.com)

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Ryan Feeney writes: "I don't know if the note to the parking warden worked or not, but if it did, I suggest it's because from 10.05 to 11.55 there are only 110 minutes - well below the 120-minute parking limit. Even factoring in walking time to the lecture theatre of five minutes each way, our creative driver should have just slipped into the 120-minute comfort zone. Hopefully she or he is doing a subject at university which does not require basic numeracy skills, or we could all be in trouble. The running in-joke at the university is that there is only one degree which fits this criterion - the BA."

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Ireland was the proud winner of the 2006 World Oyster Opening Championship, when restaurateur Michael Moran beat competition from 17 other countries to open 30 oysters in the fastest time. At 2m 35s, he was 5s ahead of Sweden's Hasse Johannesson and 46s faster than Britain's Frederick Lindford. "It's just great to bring it home for Ireland," said Moran, whose father, Willie, took the title twice in the 1970s and whose time of 1m 31s is unbeaten. "I put in a big effort and it paid off - I can't believe it," said Moran, 23. The secret, he said, was a steady hand with the oyster knife. "It has to be a smooth movement or you risk crunching the shell and then you get points taken off for grit," he said. It was the first win for Ireland in 10 years but the country is 15th overall in the four-decade history of the competition, which has long been a major feature of the Galway Oyster Festival, now in its 52nd year. (Source: Reuters)