Sideswipe: August 14: Message rings true

Message rings true.

Cat capers

"When a scruffy cat from down the road kept coming into our house to eat our two cats' food, we were surprised at how well they all got along," writes Jo. "The neighbour down the road saw me patting Mr Fluffies (as my son called him) and said we could have him, as his owners had moved out two weeks previously and abandoned him. I thought we could adopt him and took him to the vet, paid $140 for desexing and an abscess treatment, and kept him for a night. We never saw him again. I think his owners must have finally returned for him. Ah well, no more kittens from Mr Fluffies."

Van fit for a Queen offered from the Titirangi RSA.

Can the sermon

A response to the Buy a Can Opener story where older bloke Dave was surprised that the young people in the supermarket didn't buy the $1 tinned tomatoes and instead frivolously went for the more expensive $1.40 product because of its pull ring. A reader replies: "In 2017 the concept of needing to buy a specialised tool to open your food packaging is fundamentally flawed. We solve this problem today with ring-pulls. Our tip to 'Financially Comfortable Dave' is this: Please stop buying such archaic tech; you're holding us all back from progress."

Calls bit of a scream

"I too enjoy the calls from Microsoft and Spark," writes a reader. "They must enjoy them also as I get at least half a dozen a month and in one afternoon I received four in the space of an hour. So far I've treated them to a 3-minute educational alphabet song, a demonstration of how far a high-pitched noise really can go, a child speaking from the scene of a horror movie, and most recently a blood-curdling scream - they must have really liked this one as they kept calling back! I look forward to the next time I get to share something special with my callers."

Fruit Ninja strikes again

Following last week's Sideswipe looking for clues on the bulk washing up of limes and lemons at Mission Bay, Andrea found this on Tuesday at Hillsborough Bay on the Manukau. "Previously they had also been found washed up around the corner at Granny's Bay." Anyone with any clues, please email Sideswipe.

That'll improve the resale

"It's a tribute to my late wife, who used to dream of being a clumsily-drawn, questionably-shaped mermaid.." (Via terriblerealestateagentphotos.com)

Quick clip

A jumping spider catching its prey on some guy's finger.

Video Pick

This much will kill you...(Not just food, includes back-to-back X-rays and Botox, ladies)

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