Sideswipe

What will they think of next? (Source: consumptionjunction.com)

Steve King of Kingsland wondered if there will be many responses to this job ad in Whangarei on search4jobs.co.nz: "Attractive female wanted for rock/pop band's professional video clip. Should be able to strip. You will become famous."

* * *

A swan has fallen in love with a plastic swan-shaped paddle boat on a pond in the German town of Muenster and has spent the past three weeks flirting with the vessel, which is five times its size, a sailing instructor told Reuters. Peter Overschmidt said the black swan with a bright red beak had not left the white boat's side since it flew in one day several weeks ago. "He protects it, sits next to it all the time and chases away any sail boats that get anywhere nearby. He thinks the boat is a strong and attractive swan." Overschmidt says the swan will figure it out sooner or later but hopes he won't be too heartbroken.
(Source: Reuters)

* * *

In reply to the sanctimonious person who claimed that the dictionary definition of smack was just a light tap, a reader writes: "What about common usage? For example, getting smacked over, a smack in the head and the Prodigy song, Smack My Bitch Up? None of those sound particularly gentle."

* * *

Jan Maddox had no trouble changing her $600 of coins at the ASB at Ellerslie. "The very pleasant young woman said 'no problem' and chatted as she counted them. I find the staff so helpful there. Money is still money even if it is in coins and the $600 was deposited into my account. We pay so much in fees these days that I think we should expect a jolly good dollop of civility."

* * *

How Auckland City parking enforcement covers the overheads at weekends: At 1.30pm on Saturday on Parnell Rise a reader saw one unfortunate lonely vehicle, quietly parked in a 240min parking zone, not preventing another vehicle from using the space (which is why the time limits are imposed), about to be ticketed for parking over the time limit."

* * *

A reader writes: "In early May I was in East Timor visiting my partner's daughter, who works for the UN. The Prime Minister is very short, like the proverbial grasshopper, and has the nickname, certainly among the Europeans there, Prime Miniature. It is also common knowledge among the locals that the Aussie troops do nothing until the Kiwis arrive. The Kiwis get stuck in and sort out the problems and the Aussies take all the credit. Evidently it was the same last time."