Sideswipe: October 23: LOTR architects geek out

Want to live in a real Minas Tirith?

A group of architects in the UK has launched a crowd-funding campaign to build a life-sized replica of Minas Tirith in the south of England, based on the city portrayed in Peter Jackson's film adaptations of Lord of the Rings trilogy. The replica would be a fully functional place for people to live and do business in. "We believe that, in realising Minas Tirith, we could create not only the most remarkable tourist attraction on the planet, but also a wonderfully unique place to live and work," campaign leader Jonathan Wilson said on their Indiegogo site. The campaign has raised $142,000 from more than 1700 contributions and if the project is successful contributors will have the chance to live in the creation. Wilson outlines his estimated budget; 15 million ($34 million) for land, 188 million for labour and 1.4 billion for material. The remainder of the 1.85 billion will be invested in maintenance and services until 2053.

The best lady-costume for Halloween! (yes, it's a parody of the all pervasive, sexy-at-all-costs dress-up culture we've inherited from the US)

Trolling on Quora.com

"I think my neighbour is a serial killer. How can I find out for sure without getting caught?" asks a user of the question-and-answer forum. "He lives in the house right next to mine, he's in his late 30s," the user continues. "There are many reasons why I think he's a serial killer. He drives two cars - this nice sports car during the day and this old creepy looking minivan at night. I've seen him put rope, a shovel, and even some giant scissors or knives in his van. I've seen his jeans being pretty bloody when he climbs out of his van early in the morning. And the only word he ever says to me is 'hello' - that's it, not hi, not hey, just hello. Very creepy." While this is probably trolling, some other users took it seriously, but one user trolled him right back with: "It's not your job, nor is it smart, to try to find out. Your suspicions should be shared with the appropriate authorities in this case. My boss's cousin was on the phone with her mom when her neighbour came to the door. She said to her mom, "I have to put the dog in the other room to see what my neighbour wants. I'll talk to you tomorrow." No one ever saw her again. Her neighbour was Ted Bundy. Don't take any chances." Read more here.

Flying boat memories

A reader writes: "Your story about Captain Fred Ladd reminded me of his days piloting the flying boat to Waiheke in the 50s/60s (among many other places). As he launched he always said: "Down the ramp and into the damp, a shower of spray and we're away!" Very exciting stuff for a child (many years ago!)."

Help track a bike thief

Hamish's swish bike

Hamish is grieving for his two-wheeled pride and joy (pictured below) stolen from Westhaven Marina . However, he has a tracking device hidden under the seat. "It works if others have the Tile app on their phone and the Bluetooth turned on so if the bike is in range it lets me know exactly where it is. I know awesome future stuff right!? So could you all do me a favour and if you have a smartphone just

download the Tile app

and turn it on so if my bike goes past then we can get it back to me and find the scumbag who took it... The more people who have the app the more chance we have of finding the bike and stopping thieves like this. Social media band together!

Brody JAWS Retallic

Picture this: Parenting comic that are all too real...

Good read: The Lonely Death of George Bell is a long form read which reveals the fascinating process that officials go through to identify a person who has died alone, seemingly without next of kin, and how their estate is eventually settled. Read more here.

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