Sideswipe

Louise opened the fridge intending to get herself some cheese for her crackers. She was shocked to find evidence of an enormous rodent. Further investigation revealed the species belonging to the

Celia Vallivero of Parnell writes: "Has anyone else noticed the P120 signs popping up all over Parnell? As a resident (and not the snooty rich kind) this has become quite a problem because I have no off street parking and no resident parking. If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do to avoid being ticketed (i.e. optical illusions, possibly using mirrors? Some sort of pulley system perhaps?) please let me know."

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Many British churches have recently installed the new Hymnal Plus, a karaoke machine to help congregations recite verses and sing hymns, including risky tunes, such as a disco version of Amazing Grace. (Source: The Guardian)

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A Nebraska police chief wants to arrest parents who smoke in the car when their kids are with them for child abuse. Yes, that's right. A crime that carries a penalty of up to a year in prison in the US. He calls smoking around kids "the most insidious form of child abuse", citing a recent report on secondhand smoke. Now we all know smoking is hideously wrong and it would be nice to think all parents would be considerate outside-smokers, but is it really fair to separate a child from their parent, for what realistically amounts to an increased risk of ear and respiratory infection? Compared to the many children who aren't put in car seats in this country, the potential consequences of the cigarette are minor.

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Eardley Dijkstra of Mangere heard Howard Dobson on TV3's Hyundai Sports Tonight giving his commentary on footage of a spectacular collision during a horse race in which seven jockeys and their horses fell to the ground. "The footage was quite amazing indeed and we waited for news of death or injury until Dobson declared: 'Thankfully, none of the jockeys or horses needed to be put down'."

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Two cars crashed and four people were injured when an insurance company offered free petrol to reward a US city ... for its safe driving record. Fights broke out as hundreds of drivers queued for their $US30 ($NZ49.52) freebee, blocking driveways in a residential area. Police called in to deal with the mayhem made several arrests for disorderly conduct. A police spokeswoman said: "Any time you offer free gas when it is $US3 a gallon, it is not surprising people would get excited." Allstate Insurance gave away a tanker load of petrol as a reward for Milwaukee ranking No 1 among mid-sized cities on its safe drivers list. (Source: Associated Press)

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Lost your mobile near the Victoria Ave/Remuera Rd intersection on Wednesday evening? It can be collected from NZ Post Shop, Remuera, with convincing proof of ownership.