Sideswipe: Good times

The homepage for Sperm Donors Australia's website takes a lighthearted view on baby-making. Photo / Supplied

The homepage for Sperm Donors Australia's website takes a lighthearted view on baby-making.

Rocketing price rises

Marilyn went to a bar in the Viaduct and was shocked to find the inconsistency with drinks prices. "I was charged $8 for my beer and a few hours later a friend was charged $9 for the exact same beer. I checked the price list and mine was correct. Just a warning to all to be a bit clued on when paying for your drinks ... Especially after a few beers. Has this happened to anyone else? "

Off-the-wall tribute

What's more democratic than giving your newborn an outlandish name? A young Egyptian man named his daughter Facebook Jamal Ibrahim to express his gratitude to the social network for its role in ousting PM Hosni Mubarak from power. Rather than naming her "YouTube," "Twitter" or even "Cellphone Camera", it is Facebook which has become the symbol for how social media can spread the message of freedom. There is graffiti in Cairo and protest signs thanking Facebook and Wael Ghonim [the imprisoned Google marketing head] himself thanks founder Mark Zuckerberg on CNN. Even the temporary military government is using Facebook to reach out to Egyptian youth, and the Ministry of Interior, in attempt to repair the image of the state police, has set up multiple pages. Facebook has reported an increase in Egyptian users in the past month, with 32,000 Facebook groups and 14,000 pages created in the two weeks after January 25th. (Source:Tech Crunch)

Shout out, kids - it's legal

Germany is so desperate to encourage people to have more children that the Government is proposing a law allowing under-6s to laugh, shout and play at any volume. The move comes after a series of lawsuits about children and noise, and a recent call from a senior citizens' chapter of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, who sought to ban kindergartens from residential areas because they were too loud.The law would exempt children from strict regulations that force building sites to stand idle for hours at midday and prohibit mowing lawns on Sunday. (Source: PA)

Airport's buggy welcome

Andrew writes: "I'm sitting having a drink at Auckland Airport and can see seven flies on a table and a giant cockroach crawling along the floor. I have been to some pretty basic airports in Asia and never come across that amount of wildlife. AKL may like to invest in a can of Mortein before the World Cup."

Riding for a fall

The hands-full cyclist with the wheelie suitcase reminds Ngarie of the cyclist she saw a few months ago. "No helmet, riding on the footpath, toddler sitting on the bar and holding on for dear life. Oh, and the rider was texting!"