http://www.spareroom.co.nz Be our guest... Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:04:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2007/08/02/sideswipe-best-bits-february-2007/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2007/08/02/sideswipe-best-bits-february-2007/#comments Thu, 02 Aug 2007 08:46:43 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2007/08/02/sideswipe-best-bits-february-2007/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2007/08/02/sideswipe-best-bits-february-2007/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2007/07/30/sideswipe-best-bits-january-2007/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2007/07/30/sideswipe-best-bits-january-2007/#comments Mon, 30 Jul 2007 08:27:34 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2007/07/30/sideswipe-best-bits-january-2007/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2007/07/30/sideswipe-best-bits-january-2007/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-friday-november-3-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-friday-november-3-2006/#comments Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:40:49 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-friday-november-3-2006/ Hell Pizza has generated another wave of publicity for itself by including condoms and "explicit sex instructions" with its Lust Pizza promotion. These much-reported "explicit sex instructions" are the Ministry of Health-endorsed instructions on how to use a condom, not a Kama Sutra deal as some reports have made out. The most ridiculous over-reaction comes from Brendan Malone from Family Life International who says: "There is no telling how many of them will attempt to use the condom and follow the explicit instructions provided by Hell Pizza". He goes even further: "We know that young children have viewed pornography, then gone on to act out what they have been exposed to by sexually molesting other young children." Give me a break! None of the media organisations who were happy to report on the controversy has published a picture of the ad, for fear of giving Hell free publicity. TVNZ chose to illustrate the story with a generic picture of coloured condoms. But how can people judge for themselves if an ad is complaint-worthy or just lame if they don't see it? So here you are, readers, the Hell Pizza ad. And now at least when you're arguing about it over dinner, you'll know what you're talking about. ]]> http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-friday-november-3-2006/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-thursday-november-2-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-thursday-november-2-2006/#comments Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:37:59 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-thursday-november-2-2006/ The 1950s advertising answer to wives who don't get the head of the house fresh coffee. ]]> http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-thursday-november-2-2006/feed/ 1 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-wednesday-november-1-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-wednesday-november-1-2006/#comments Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:35:10 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-wednesday-november-1-2006/ Last month a number of readers wrote in to say the raised surrounds around the trees in poncey Nuffield St, Newmarket, have caused some nasty accidents. The solution to the design fault? Gaudy yellow masking tape. Now that's classy. ]]> http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-wednesday-november-1-2006/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-tuesday-october-31-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-tuesday-october-31-2006/#comments Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:31:35 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-tuesday-october-31-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/12/14/sideswipe-tuesday-october-31-2006/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-monday-october-30-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-monday-october-30-2006/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:46:23 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-monday-october-30-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-monday-october-30-2006/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-friday-october-27-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-friday-october-27-2006/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:44:59 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-friday-october-27-2006/ Trevor needs a holiday ... on the notice board at the dairy in Whangapoua. * * * A reader writes: "To the Wilson parking attendant who on September 14 at Auckland Hospital berated me for handing him the wrong parking chit and then abused me for not paying at the automatic machine, much to the embarrassment of his colleagues behind the counter. Excuse my vagueness, but my mother had just died. I think this individual should take a compassion pill and get out of customer service."]]> http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-friday-october-27-2006/feed/ 1 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-thursday-october-26-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-thursday-october-26-2006/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:40:14 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-thursday-october-26-2006/ Bombay hills and home of the new national rugby champions, apparently * * * Worst Covering Letters Ever Written: 1. "Today is the first day of my life ... Last year was a tremendous year for personal growth, insight and maturity. I courted that growth ... This year I want to "take the world by storm". I want to make a film. I want to be the producer or the director, which ever will put me in the middle of all the creativity and decision-making ... I am terrified of the all-out approach I sense in my spirit. However, I am not scared enough to let it stop me. I will go and push and strive until I have reached the finish line. I will sacrifice anything but my God (morals) and my family. Pride has no place in my new life. I will be striving for perfection."]]> http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-thursday-october-26-2006/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-wednesday-october-25-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-wednesday-october-25-2006/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:36:11 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-wednesday-october-25-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-wednesday-october-25-2006/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-tuesday-october-24-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-tuesday-october-24-2006/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:34:46 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-tuesday-october-24-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-tuesday-october-24-2006/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-monday-october-23-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-monday-october-23-2006/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:32:43 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-monday-october-23-2006/ Who's next? Santa? LJ Hooker's marketing tool, Mr Hooker Bear, has been replaced by a slimmer version, caving to the hysteria about child obesity. Children in the focus groups said the bear was looking a bit saggy and baggy, which the LJ Hooker marketing people interpreted as needing to lose 10kg. Brett Robinson, general manager for LJ Hooker says, "We decided to make the teddy bear version a bit slimmer and more appealing, a model of a fit and healthy lifestyle. Mr Hooker bears are given away to customers who buy and sell a home through LJ Hooker. ]]> http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-monday-october-23-2006/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-thursday-october-19-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-thursday-october-19-2006/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:29:14 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-thursday-october-19-2006/ It appears Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is trying to divert us from evil dairy products by persuading drinkers of non-human milk that if the Virgin Mary's human milk was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for all of us. Trouble is, once you're over a certain age it's not really socially acceptable to latch on. Peta obviously would prefer to live in a society which has breast-fed 12-year-olds, rather than enslaved cows. ]]> http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-thursday-october-19-2006/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-wednesday-october-18-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-wednesday-october-18-2006/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:25:28 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-wednesday-october-18-2006/ Truss tomatoes are grown on the vine, but 'trust' tomatoes? A super-reliable variety, maybe ... *** Billionaire casino owner and art collector Steve Wynn accidentally put his elbow through a $140 million Picasso as he gesticulated while talking about the painting to guests. Wynn has an eye disease that affects his peripheral vision. "I made a gesture with my right hand," he told the New Yorker magazine. "My right elbow hit the picture. It punctured the picture. There was a distinct ripping sound." He told his guests, "Well, I'm glad I did it and not you." ]]> http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-wednesday-october-18-2006/feed/ 0 http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-tuesday-october-17-2006/ http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-tuesday-october-17-2006/#comments Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:22:38 +0000 Ana Samways http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-tuesday-october-17-2006/ Auckland City Council has decreed that bland grey concrete is preferable to the red chip footpaths, which are now banned *** How about this for a sick scam? For a donation of $5 a word, a website called Afterlife Telegrams will deliver telegrams to your dead relatives with the help of terminally ill volunteers who memorise messages before passing away themselves. The site claims the money is either "given to a relative, donated to a charity or used to pay for medical bills ... Since we cannot guarantee delivery nor prove that a message has been delivered successfully, our customers do not pay for 'deliveries'. They pay for 'delivery attempts'." ]]> http://www.spareroom.co.nz/2006/11/07/sideswipe-tuesday-october-17-2006/feed/ 0