KEY POINTS:
Venus has been delighting art connoisseurs for almost 500 years - but the London Underground has decided she is likely to offend rather than enchant commuters. Intended as the main poster for the Royal Academy's show on the German artist Lucas Cranach the Elder, noted for his sensuous
nudes, the design has been thrown out because of guidelines that state advertising should not "depict men, women or children in a sexual manner, or display nude or semi-nude figures in an overtly sexual context".
A spokesperson told the Guardian: "Millions of people travel on the London Underground each day and they have no choice but to view whatever adverts are posted there. We have to take account of the full range of travellers and endeavour not to cause offence."
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Moving back to the UK soon, one reader has had enough of dealing with idiotic queries about the stuff he's flogging on Trade Me. "The first was someone interested in buying my BMW. A woman asked if I would be prepared to sell the Jack Russell terrier, Milly, who had inadvertently wandered into the frame as I photographed the car (she wasn't interested in the BMW). And selling a wooden high chair for $50, which has been used for feeding both my 3-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son, a fool from Waiheke Island asked whether the high chair had any marks or signs of use."
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The declaration of an official drought in the Waikato is playing on the minds of not only the farmers but their children, too. Adrian Brown writes: "At a recent Sunday school class at the Morrinsville Catholic Church, the lesson was that of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. The teacher asked the young listeners what they thought the Garden of Eden might have been like. A 5-year-old raised her hand. 'I bet it was greener than the Waikato', came the very honest response."
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Accidental Inventions: Potato Chips/Crisps: In 1853, in a restaurant in Saratoga, New York, a particularly fussy VIP diner repeatedly refused to eat the fries he had been served with his meal, complaining that they were too thick and too soggy. After he had sent back several plates of increasingly thinly cut fries, the chef decided to get his own back by frying wafer-thin slices of potato in grease and sending them out. They were an instant hit, and soon everybody in the restaurant wanted some. This led to the new recipe appearing on the menu as "Saratoga Chips", before later being sold all over the world. (Source: PocketGadget.org)
Today's Webpick: Jesus kidnapped - held for ransom. The strangest news story to make the TV this year. You will want to forward this to your beloved this Valentine's Day, for sure. Watch it here. Scroll Down.
These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.
