Sideswipe: Hats a dead giveaway

Kawakawa Dentist: "The place to go for a crooked smile?" asks Ken Donelan.

Hats a dead giveaway
An all-female pickpocket ring made up of middle-aged and elderly women in Detroit has been dubbed the Mad Hatters: "We know they're an organised group because when we looked at the incidents, the person suspected of stealing a wallet wasn't the person committing the credit card fraud," police said. "The common denominator is that all the suspects are wearing hats at the time of the incident which has caused the group to be dubbed the 'Mad Hatters'." (Source: Neatorama.com)

Pure as snow

Auckland Airport must be a bit embarrassed by the inclusion of this ad, for Wicked Campers, in the latest issue of its glossy magazine Arrivals. Word is, employees are collecting all the magazines and tearing out the offending page as a keepsake. Wonder if Customs is taking the joke so well?

Another human fault

The Endowment Effect is a common fault in human thought, say psychologists. This is the idea that people need more to part with an object than they would pay to buy it. For example, vendors place a high value on their property - many have sentimental value, others believe the hype and therefore are hard to sway to a lower price no matter what the market says. Also, people generally hate change and will avoid it unless the incentive to change is significant. (Source: Listverse.com)

Old coins valuable in Oz

"Much has been reported about how expensive Australia is, writes dishonest Simon. "Here's a small tip: Kiwi travellers can save up to 35pc by digging out the old coins, they are the same size as the Oz coins. I am here in Queensland and I found my old piggy bank just before I left NZ. I have been paying for buses, carparking, drinks machine from my old Kiwi coins ... they worked like a treat!"

Rock that bowser

"Given that Shell petrol stations are now rebranding to Z," writes Johnny, "does this mean that they'll be calling their premium-brand petrol ZZ Top. They should do."

Petrol price shock

A driver writes: "Travelling north for a funeral on Tuesday, we were getting low on gas and stopped at the first petrol station we came across - a little station on SH1 just past Hikurangi. While putting in $40, I looked at the price on the pump - 233.9c a litre. Can anyone else find a higher price for petrol in NZ?"