Sideswipe: April 7: Pink is for girls

Teaching girls and boys about how they are different from a very early age. (Via @CaseyNewton)

Prowler (and policeman) get more than they bargained for

"Well here's a bit of excitement I didn't need at 5 in the morning," writes a reader from Mt Eden. "I was woken by our dog Ruby bellowing, which meant someone was where she didn't think they should be, outside. I went to tell her off sternly, she quieted down, and then did a short burst of barking in the hallway. I bent over her, and of course I was naked (because what else do you expect?) and just as I was going back into a standing position, a very bright flashlight shone through the front door, which is made up of a series of small windows. So, completely see-through. Anyway, I got a hell of a fright, shot up and into the bedroom while husband is saying that it's the police and he's going outside to talk to them. I get dressed, head outside, and it seems they're looking for a prowler. I apologise, laughingly, about being a terrible sight to see when you're looking through a front door. The handsome young police officer is, instead, preoccupied with complimenting us on Ruby's fine defensive barking skills. 'Gave me a hua of a fright! Just what you want. What a great guard dog.' So, the moral of the story is: always make sure you sleep naked, and have a bellowy dog around. Because if the sound of the dog barking doesn't scare off intruders, the sight of a large naked woman bending over likely will."

Devil of a job dealing with creepy customers on night shift

Reddit asks night shift workers for the strangest thing that's happened on the job. Sara writes: "I work nights at a gas station. One night I did have a customer really creep me out. I was just getting ready to close down the store when a little old man came in. He was small and dressed in khakis and a button-down shirt. I made the usual small talk of asking him how his day was going. Then as I was handing him his change he firmly grabbed my wrist, made direct eye contact with me and said, 'hell is a real place and the devil has already got his hand on you girl, be careful'."

Walking the dog at Cornwallis

Papatoetoe peacocks not a hallucination - just a jolly nuisance

Peacocks of Papatoetoe not a hallucination: "Yes, the peacocks live in an old house on Scott Rd," writes a reader. "There are four of them and they are the biggest nuisance ever encountered around the area. They make themselves at home anywhere they fancy and homeowners are left to clean up their mess, which is quite considerable. We have discovered that the only way to get them off our deck is to turn the hose on them, which we do frequently."