Sideswipe: November 20: Free Tree

An evasive move.

Hold it in ...
A reader from Glen Eden writes: "My 10-year-old son came home the other day complaining that a teacher wouldn't let him go to the toilet. I understand it's disrupting class and that some kids can be trying it on, but it seems a bit draconian don't you think?"

... teacher rules on toilet breaks
This exchange on Reddit.com might be helpful. Comment 1: "As a teacher I am so sick of this coming up. It always turns into "my teacher is such an asshole, they wouldn't let me go to the bathroom". For younger kids I plan specific times for the whole class to go. For older students there is plenty of time to go in between classes and at lunch. I would never deny a student if I felt it was a necessary bathroom trip."

Comment 2: "So I have to do the pee-pee dance for you to decide whether it's necessary or not."

Comment 3: "I warn my classes at the start of the term that I won't allow them to use the restroom during class except in an emergency. Ten minute breaks every 50 minutes. If you didn't have to pee at the start of the class, then at most you are waiting 30 minutes or so. Unless you have some medical problem, waiting 30 minutes from when you first notice you might have to use the bathroom to actually going isn't a big deal."

Comment 4: "Teachers who apply this approach are really just sadistic tools. People have different bladder sizes, different levels of control. How about you treat kids like people and not some weird Japanese toy whose biological functions you can set to a timer?"

The gag gift for THAT person in the family is for sale on Trade Me.

Smoke alarms
"I put new smoke detectors in every time I have a new tenant," writes Bob Chester. "I replace the batteries every time I do a property check. The batteries are always taken out, sometimes the units are smashed. How can I make tenants leave the smoke alarms alone? I would rather a tenant ring me and ask for a new battery, but it has never happened in 30 years."

Bureaucracy gone mad
South Korea's government-run Labour Ministry has offered tips for female jobseekers suggesting these as "ideal answers". On sexual harassment: "I wouldn't mind casual jokes about sex and it is sometimes necessary to deal with [sexual harassment] by making a joke in return." On marriage: "I have no interest in getting married for a while," even if she does have a trip down the aisle planned. On having kids: "Although I have a responsibility as a woman to raise a child, I am more than willing to continue working [after having a baby] if the company recognises [my abilities]."

Nice one: German town tricks neo-Nazis into raising thousands of euros for anti-extremist charity. Far-right extremists inadvertently take part in 'walkathon' to raise money for group that helps rightwingers escape extremism...

Clean gags: "Fab kid's bad jokes tumblr," Tweets Te Radar. "Many are better than any I've written."

Video: Like A Girl (the most thoughtful tampon ad you will ever see) ...

Video: Stop Looking At Your Phone, is a delightful period drama-parody by The Britishes, which are like the cast of Downtown, but funnier ...(NSFW language)

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Got a Sideswipe? Send your pictures, links and anecdotes to Ana at ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz