"Spark has emailed invitations to some of its customers to participate in a survey about the company's current phone services and possible future features," writes Lynne. "Sounds great, but when you read that The Idea Exchange will be run by 'our friends at Camorra Research', most people will think twice about getting involved with the Naples Mafia. Does no one at Spark know what the Camorra is?" (*It's an Italian Mafia-type crime syndicate that originated in Campania and its capital Naples.)
A pear-shaped cure for that fuzzy morning after
There is no guaranteed hangover cure, but Australian scientists reckon pear juice is a great place to start. Australia's national science agency says pears, in addition to lowering cholesterol, relieving constipation, and reducing inflammation, also lower alcohol levels. Consumed in advance of the alcohol, pears, and specifically Korean pear juice, the researchers say, "significantly reduced" hangover symptoms compared to a placebo drink. (Source: qz.com)
"My car broke down at a busy Auckland intersection last Friday, blocking the right-turning traffic from Lunn Ave into Marua Rd," writes a reader. "Not only was there no impatient tooting of the horns, but a lot of passing pedestrians and drivers had offered to help. I am very grateful to two gentlemen in particular who asked for the car keys and successfully unlocked my faulty steering wheel and I eventually steered my car on to a pavement in Marua Rd ... It shows that Aucklanders really do look out for each other despite various stereotypes, and my ethnic appearance (my family and I are 'visibly Asian') had not generated any stereotypical remarks on my driving ability."
No wonder they're all gone
Small Kiwi town's warm heart
"When walking to the Coromandel township on a very cold July day I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw on the footpath bench seat a dozen or so beautifully knitted scarves and hats," writes Janeen. "They were all packaged in a Ziploc bag ... It made me realise what a unique and wonderful little town I have recently moved to."
Copping swift justice
A 27-year-old man who was entertaining friends at his home in Colmar, France, on the country's National Day on July 14 suffered serious injuries when he fell from his third-floor balcony -- while, said his friends, leaning over to spit on police officers below. (The Local -- Paris).
Fun:We Hope That Helps is a parody customer service page that scours corporate Facebook pages and responds to customer complaints.
Good read: "Lauren Rosen is part of a new wave of female workers in the death industry. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, 57 percent of mortuary science students are women. As a crematory operator, Rosen's duties consist of lifting corpses into crematory machines, raking shards of bone out of cremation units, reading toe tags, and keeping body parts organised." Read more here.
Video: This busy intersection in the center of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has no traffic lights or painted lines and makes the Royal Oak Roundabout look like a breeze...
