Sideswipe: May 16: New drain for uphill water

Uncomfortable truths

1. S*** just happens, no matter how prepared you are.

Unexpected breakups, unexpected death, unexpected injuries, unexpected job changes. In life, you can only control what you can. Everything else will happen however it will happen.

2. Very, very rarely does anyone actually care about you as much as you care about you. You are a side character to everyone else. Often not even an interesting one. This one actually has a positive side though: you get to stop being so goddamn self conscious. Your co-workers are not going home to their families talking about how this loser at work wore the same shirt twice this week.

3. You are judged immediately on your gender, appearance, dress, voice, height, fitness, race, socioeconomic status ... Some of those things you can control to your benefit.

4. Some people will just not like you.

5. Your closest friends will move away or you'll "drift apart". Despite your best efforts to stay in touch, they may disappoint you by not responding.

6. Your physical appearance affects the way people treat you. A lot.

What a waste

News nostalgia No 2

"The latest discotechnological breakthrough is an item called Rock and Roll Hot Pants. By wiring your shorts or panties to a stereo speaker with a 15-foot cord, which relays the music to a two inch disc on your waistband, 'you get an incredible tingle all over your body,' claims inventor David Lloyd." (via Omni magazine, Aug 1981).

Drunk crab for dinner

Quick links

1. "So much has changed yet so much also hasn't," says one punter of this footage taken while driving and shows Queen St and Customs St in downtown Auckland in 1986…

2.Alternative ending for your favourite 90s sitcom, Friend's.

Video pick

What would drive someone to reject social media? We took a look at this scary phenomenon...