Sideswipe: July 13: Relax, he's already eaten

Relax, he's already eaten. This unfussed feline was spotted (of course) atop the shelves of a shop it had wandered into in Orissa state, India. Must have needed the rest after frightening some unlucky citizens on the way there. The leopard was rescued unharmed and taken to the Nandankanan Zoological Park. (Source: AP)

Mankind, the intelligent species

Les thinks this issue is food for thought. "We humans do take some silly risks, building houses on flood plains, under or on top of steep cliffs, and even on old swamps. We have seen the disastrous results of such folly in recent years. Lake Taupo is regarded as almost a super-volcano with an eruption cycle of 2000 years, and the last eruption was about 2000 years ago. It does seem very risky having most of the north of the North Island's power either going past Lake Taupo or generated by its river. Perhaps we should have alternative energy sources close to where they are needed."

Where to get sexy winceyette look

A couple of readers wrote in to suggest where the 70 plus-year-old lady could buy a full-length, long-sleeved, winceyette nightie. One place she could try is Postie Plus. Christine found one last September in Norsewood at Jackpot Clothing. Another septuagenarian says she bought hers at Crabtree & Evelyn in Auckland's Newmarket. Lauren bought hers at Kmart and she used to get nighties for her grandma from Farmers (not sure if they still have them). One reader's solution for the arms was to buy one of Rachel Hunter's long-sleeved "dresses" from The Warehouse. Rachel from the South Island says: "Pat needs to come to the South Island to look for a nightie. All I can find at the moment in Nelson is full-length, long-sleeved, winceyette nighties. Not such a flattering look for someone in their 20s."

All the pretty boys

Vicki writes: "My husband and I were breeders of Holstein-Friesian cows and subscribed to Canadian magazines on the topic. They would put any horse magazine to shame - bulls (and cows) were posed with feet on a small hillock, tails shaved with the hair at the end teased out, hair on backs blowdried up to create a straight backline, black bits blackened, white bits whitened, hooves polished - all to look 'correct' enough for us to want to buy the bulls' semen, frozen and dispatched around the world. And my favourite bull's name? Board Chairman."