Sideswipe: June 16: Smell like a Jedi

A German perfume-maker has come out with a line of Star Wars fragrances. Jedi is said to evoke a "swaggering, fearless flair" and "sportiness" with a blend of pink pepper, water lily, musk and sandalwood. Empire mixes notes of lime, apple, amber, patchouli and tonka-bean for a "seductive fragrance". For the ladies, Amidala captures Padme's "royal elegance" and "strong, indomitable will" in "elegant and sensual" vanilla, musk, and patchouli with notes of apple and tangerine.

Colour-co-ordinated confusion

Mark writes: "There always seems to have been a kind of standard between petrol stations, as to the colours used on the different octane rating pump handles -- 91 octane, green; 95 octane, red; 98 octane, something else (Mobil's used to be purple I think). I believe most people would assume this system now. I notice at Mobil Balmoral that the newly refurbished pumps are now using red for their 98 octane product. Unless you carefully read the small wording on pumps it would be very easy fill up with the significantly more expensive 98 octane thinking it was 95."

Less cruel, more unusual punishment

1. Ohio Judge Michael Cicconetti ordered a woman who stiffed a cabbie out of his fare to walk 48km. It was 60 days in jail or the hike, which was the distance of the cab ride she took for free. The offender chose to walk off her punishment. Judge Cicconetti believes in giving people a taste of their own medicine and has sentenced offenders to novel alternatives to jail time, like dressing up in a chicken suit.

2. After a 19-year-old man fought with his girlfriend's ex (because he insulted the young woman) Texas Judge Randall Rogers was sympathetic. To a point. The judge asked the young man to prove his girlfriend was "worth it" by marrying her within 30 days or get locked up. The girlfriend was appalled that she had to get her dream proposal in the form of a court mandate, but he was looking at jail time, so they wed. The couple say they would have married anyway.

3. Ohio Judge David Hostetler once handed down a unique punishment to two young men convicted of throwing beer bottles. The pair had to take a stroll down the main street - in drag - but they did get to choose their outfits. (Source: moneyinc.com)

These won't brighten any day

"Even if I splashed out $10 and bought my partner these flowers from Mobil," writes Raymond, "I am pretty sure I would be dumped."

Free park

"Ashburton's most sought after carpark," tweets @dairymanNZ.

Video: On the remote Svalbard archipelago in Norway is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault - home to more than 860,000 plant seed samples. The vault was built to withstand earthquakes and explosions and was positioned high on the side of a mountain so even if all the ice on Earth melts, it will still be above sea level. Before you ask, there is no marijuana seeds stored in the vault. Take a tour here.

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