Sideswipe: September 6: Desert island

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"This new traffic island has just been dropped into Beaumont St," writes Roger of Ponsonby. "I have asked Council and Auckland Transport to explain why it was built, what they hope to achieve with it and how much did it cost? No answer as yet ... I can't see any reason at all why it was constructed. I would love to hear any explanations or possible uses for the new "island". It is over a yellow no parking line so it can't have been to stop people parking there!"

Don't mention Kim Dotcom

A Reddit thread ponders what would happen if English surnames were created using today's professions, like Smith, Taylor, Fisher ...

1. "It was still early in the summer of 2147, but Tommy Selfcheckoutattendant was already tired of that robot's attitude ..."

2. Jonathan Uber, Mrs MommyBlogger, Carolyn Debtslave

3. James Sysadmin.

4. "My son's not dating that Personalshopper girl! That whole family is no good! End of discussion!"

5. The Dealer brothers are trouble!

6. Sylvester Stallone is Austin Coder. Coming to theatres this December. Rated PG-13

7. Linus Opensourcesystemsprogrammer.

8. Jane Techsupportcallcentre

9. David Bornrich.

10. Mr & Mrs Jobless.

"We thought we just bought a bunny keyring," writes Andrew.

Smart and stupid

1. Fire ants weren't going to go softly into the night after Harvey flooded Houston. Rather, they banded together to make fire ant rafts, which are buoyant in part because the ants can trap air with their bodies.

2. Some people in California put sunscreen on their eyes, thinking it would offer protection while they gazed at last month's solar eclipse. However, this was a bad idea: sunscreen doesn't protect your eyes if you look at the sun, and it can sting and irritate your eyes, as well. (Source: Livescience.com)

Tweet goodness

Quick links

1.Dog tastes orange peel.

2. Get your face (or mate's) made into a suitcase cover. The possibilities are endless...

3. Occasionally, there is filmic genius in a gif...

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