Sideswipe: That's Harry's mug, not Wills'

A little too quick to get their royal wedding merchandise into production, Chinese company Guandon Enterprises put the wrong Prince alongside Kate Middleton on its commemorative mug. (Source: www.guandongenterprisesltd.com)

Rituals a study in misery

Do not scull the soy: University of Virginia police are investigating whether a student's seizures were the result of a fraternity house ritual. The 19-year-old wound up in intensive care after eating a mixture of dog food, matzo balls and gefilte fish coated in an entire bottle of soy sauce. Officials said the high amount of sodium in the mixture is likely to have caused the seizure. The student spent four days in hospital.

Crickets rub reader up wrong way

Russell from Oratia writes: "Is it just me, or have others noticed the plague-ish number of crickets? They fly inside at night seeking warm and dry spaces and wait until you are half asleep before they begin chirping from beneath your bed or from inside your closet! Is it just our area? Others have noticed them around Auckland too. I realise it may be the season for them but I have never known them to be this prolific."

Lost - one talking Booger

Marie pleads: "I have lost a beloved Alexandrine parrot from Leys Cres, Remuera. He is a big bright green named Booger, with a big red beak, a long tail and a grey ring round his neck. He is tame but will be scared and wary. If anyone sees him they can contact me on 027-471- 2962 or marie - roberts1983@hotmail.com. He is prone to monologues so if you hear a disembodied voice coming from a tree, it is probably him."

Trolley deposit the ideal deterrent

Time to get tough on supermarket trolleys being taken off site, says Ron of Torbay: "The industry should agree to demand a $20 deposit on a trolley. Some of our cheeky shoppers leave their trolley more than 100m from the store, at their bus stop. They wouldn't if they risked losing their $20."

Police cop flak for toy recovery

The police rescuing a toy dolphin from the motorway did not impress some readers. "Kudos to the policemen who keep the motorway clear of the soft toys and dolls that pose as dangerous distractions to drivers," says Russell. "Perhaps parents keeping the windows wound up high enough will allow these lawmen to avoid such silly errands." Another reader is more blunt: "It seems that if I had lost a child's toy on the motorway instead of having my house broken into and all my personal belongings taken, including items of high sentimental value, it wouldn't have taken the police two days to visit my property to look into the matter. If it happens again, perhaps I will throw a toy into the street and call the police for a faster response."