Sideswipe: August 11: Tills not ringing

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These books have been on a clearance table at The Warehouse in Henderson for months, says Chris Mann. "I wonder why they are not selling? Maybe $27.97 for a book on last year's weather is the reason?"

Peak name plan hits low note

Thousands of Colorado residents have signed a petition to honour Rocky Mountain High singer John Denver by naming a peak in the Rockies after him. But officials say it is policy to avoid adding names to peaks in federal wilderness areas as it detracts from the wilderness experience. Some simply oppose the idea because they don't like Denver's music. (Source: Newser.com)

Hey mum, I've got a job

Arizona State University students who are over 21 can earn $60 a night by getting drunk. A psychology professor conducts studies of drunk students' memories, response times and decision-making processes - after he has raised their blood-alcohol level to 0.08 per cent (which Arizona regards as impaired for drivers). At the end of the night they are sent home in taxis. (Source: Weird Universe.com)

Paving the way to recovery

Christchurch's Urban Paving is making liquefaction from Hagley Park into a memento brick, naming it SILTY and engraved KIA KAHA CHCH. The brick costs $15.00 plus $3.00 P&P and can be set in your pathway or put on your mantelpiece. Proceeds go to two organisations dealing to the gaps in city streets.

Tram fare a bit steep

Scott Blanks took his 2-year-old son, Nicholas, for a ride on the new tram (1.5km loop) in the Wynyard Quarter. "The joy on his face was almost priceless. Unfortunately my adult $10 fare wasn't! We could ride all day so I am not complaining. But I noted a lot of people decided not to ride the empty tram when the guard said he could only sell a $10 RIDE ALL DAY ticket. Come on Wynyard people. A $2 coin for a loop or two wouldn't hurt your business."

Freudian sniff

One of Time magazine's articles this week takes readers back to when cocaine was just a "novel chemical compound". According to the BBC's Magazine Monitor: "[In 1884] the first people who used cocaine in significant quantities were doctors, including Sigmund Freud. The surgeon William Halsted became interested in cocaine's potential as an anaesthetic and become an addict himself.