Sideswipe: August 23: I tell you I'm not lion

Realistic lion? Stuffed if I know. Photo / Supplied

The museum sign in yesterday's Sideswipe, which said an exhibit had been removed because of its facial expression ("which was deemed zoologically improbable and/or terrifying to small children"), was referring to the lion of Gripsholms Castle, right. We can see what the museum was on about, but there's a little more to it. According to blogger Ulrika Good, King Frederick I of Sweden was gifted the pelt and bones of a real lion in 1731. When given to the royal taxidermist, who had only the vaguest idea of what lions really looked like, this at right is how the lion came out.

Countdown to outrage

The balance on Noel's pre-paid mobile kept disappearing, and after complaining to Telecom, he found it was costing him $7.75 each time he received a text from Countdown advertising its "20c per litre off fuel if you spend over $200" deal. Noel says: "It's outrageous that I'm paying a ridiculous amount of hard-earned cash for them to send me an ad! Countdown get your number if you opt to receive text messages about special deals/promos. You can stop getting these costly texts by replying with the word 'stop'. But what I want to know is who is making that $7.75, Countdown or Telecom? Certainly great money when an ordinary text is 20c."

The thick and thin of royal life

Royal news: 1) A restaurant owner in southern Germany turned away Sweden's King and Queen when they asked for a table. "I didn't recognise them. I mean without crowns and sceptres ... I'm just not up on royal families and I don't have time for glossy magazines," the restaurateur said.

2) Kate, Duchess of Cambridge is so thin she has been seen as a role model on pro-anorexia websites. Her significant weight loss is the subject of forum debates and includes photographs from her university days to more recent pictures of her on tour.

Licence not a green flag for killing

To Doug the professional driver: "I have been walking for a large part of my chequered life - from Jandals to boots. Here are some cautionary notes for drivers: Never drive across a pedestrian crossing assuming YOU have right-of-way. You don't. Pedestrians do. Failure to stop could result in someone's death at your hands. Of course, pedestrians should do what they can to be safe, but drivers need to realise that the weapon they are speeding down the street in requires a licence and part of getting that is agreeing to stop at pedestrian crossings when someone is trying to cross."