Sideswipe Extra: Oct 17: Auto-flushing toilets

Automatic, not always a good idea. Photo / Supplied

Wheel subtlety

Facebook update of the day: "My boss pulled up in an awesome new car today and I complimented him on it. He said 'Well [name], if you set goals and put in the long hours, I can get an even better one next year'."

Rhino reasoning

A reader writes: "A young relative of mine asked in a somewhat puzzled tone, 'why do they keep hunting that poor rhino every night on TV? And did the fat man eat it?' Somewhat perplexed, I asked him what he was talking about and he said the rhino on the lawn that's on the news all the time. It dawned on me he was talking about the incessant replaying of the Kim Dotcom mansion raid. I assured him the rhino was a statue and the people in the helicopter weren't hunting it and the fat man wasn't going to jail for eating it. He was very relieved."

Plenty of sick excuses

Job search site CareerBuilder asked employers to report the craziest excuses they had heard from employees about why they couldn't come to work. One employee said she couldn't come to work because her dog was having a nervous breakdown and another said he forgot he'd been hired. A third was upset after watching The Hunger Games. Other alibis included a toe stuck in a tap, a dead grandmother exhumed as part of a police investigation, and an illness from "reading too much". What's the worst excuse you've ever heard for calling in sick? (Source: CNN.com)

Baby carrots really middle-aged

Are those bagged and peeled baby carrots really sweet and tender and delicious baby carrots? Er, no. It's all marketing. Baby carrots are actually pieces of normal sized carrots that are cut and and shaved into a "baby carrot" shape. According to The Society Pages.org in the US supermarkets wanted carrots to be a particular size, shape, and colour. In response, one carrot supplier came up with two prototypes: the baby carrot and "bunny balls", round carrot bites, which didn't fly. Possibly because they were too difficult to dip.

Signs of the times

A reader shares some Health & Safety signage overkill from his workplace ...

"Do not place hands under boiling water tap."

"Avoid spills when using microwave."

(Because usually I try to spill as much of my lunch as possible).

Every weekday we are going to add a little bit more Sideswipe, just for online readers. The best video clips and links - the smart, funny and curious finds. And best of all we have now opened up Sideswipe for comments. So go for it. But remember your manners.

TV nostalgia: Remember Simon & Simon?
Two of my most-crushed-upon telly actors (Mad Men's Jon Hamm and Adam Scott from Parks & Recreation) join forces to recreate the opening sequence to this iconic 80s detective show.
Here's the original played alongside the new version.

Local: An alleged drunk driver turns off K-Road and into St Kevin's Arcade and tries to drive down the stairs, completely munting them...
See the pictures here.

Video: First World problems are just terrible...

Video: Tourist guide in Costa Rica thinks he's bulletproof...

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