Sideswipe: May 5: Well it is Ask Me Anything...

Well it is Ask Me Anything... (Via PM's Facebook page).

Name opens, closes doors

Same name as a celebrity? It can be fun sometimes, but also a drag. Twenty-two-year-old Kate Middleton of London shares her experience with Broadly.vice.com:

"When her engagement to Prince William was announced, I had over 3000 friend requests on Facebook. My account then got deactivated and I was told I was an "impersonator" even though there was literally nothing on my page to suggest I was interested in, or trying to be, [the other] Kate Middleton. Once I checked into a hotel in Romania and as the receptionist flicked through the paperwork, she landed on a page with my name at the top, and hand-written in bold red capital letters underneath were the words "NOT THE PRINCESS" repeatedly underlined and circled. I still now receive a lot, and I mean A LOT, of Facebook messages. When I discovered the message requests tab on messenger, I had hundreds. There was an offer to make my wedding dress, and my wedding cake, a message from my supposed "third cousin" who wanted a wedding invite, a message slandering the royal family and subsequently offering me protection services, a message detailing all the comparisons of Kate Middleton to Princess Diana. It's a great ice-breaker and great for networking in my job. It really hasn't negatively affected me that much though; I'm lucky the person I share a name with is generally well-liked."

Brewery leaves rival in the shade

A brewery in Finland has introduced a new solution for really thirsty customers looking to buy their beer in bulk. Nokian Panimo introduced a 1000 pack of its Keisari beer sold in Finland's K-Supermarket chain.

The brewery insisted it was no joke but a response to rival Karjala, which began offering 1000 packs of beer. Each massive case of beer sells for about $3400, which means each beer costs about $3.40.

Nokian Panimo introduced a 1000 pack of its Keisari beer. Photo / Supplied

Full circle on the North Shore: same street, different 'burb

"Name changing suburbs must be rife on the North Shore," writes Gavin Sheehan. "In the 60s and 70s I grew up in a street in Crown Hill, that became Milford and, for a while, Castor Bay. I am back living in the same street, only to find I'm now in Forrest Hill."

Pineapple too exotic

At Robert Gordon University in Scotland, fourth-year student Ruairi Gray claims that he bought a pineapple from the local supermarket and then placed it beside the "Look Again" art and design exhibition at the university. He returned a few days later and discovered that his pineapple had been moved into a glass case. (Via Weird Universe)

He returned a few days later to discover his pineapple had been moved into a glass case. Photo / Supplied

Picture this: Transforming Armadillobot. (Going in reverse is better)

Picture this: The banana phone. An idea whose time has finally come.

Video: The best of the best in TV bloopers...

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