Lover to the last
An extraordinary obituary was published in the Telegraph on Friday. It read: "Maurizio 'Zanza' Zanfanti, who has died aged 62 while in flagrante, was the most famous Latin lover of the package holiday boom in Italy, of which the epicentre was his home town Rimini. In his prime, women queued up to be seduced by him and according to legend he slept with thousands of them. He died of a heart attack at around two in the morning in his Mitsubishi Pajero 4×4, parked in a small peach grove owned by his family, seconds after making love with a 25-year-old Romanian woman, who raised the alarm. Maurizio Zanfanti was born on October 20, 1955 into a family of poor peasant farmers who lived near Rimini on the Adriatic coast. Italy was still a largely agricultural country, devastated ... "
Out of office reply
"Thanks for your email. In an attempt to achieve the often elusive work/life balance, I do not work on Fridays. This weekend, I'm hoping to spend a decent amount of time outdoors. Research has shown that spending time in nature lifts people's moods, decreases feelings of depression and anxiety, improves concentration, buffers against stress, makes lives meaningful, speeds recovery from tough times and reduces health inequalities related to poverty. Amazing stuff huh!? I hope you too are able to spend time outdoors over the next few days. I'll reply to your email when I'm back in the office on Monday. Or if you need assistance before then, you can try calling one of my colleagues on ... "
Made up on Twin Oak Drive
News nostalgia
In 2009, then British PM Gordon Brown hand-wrote a letter of condolence to a Jacqui Janes, whose son Jamie had died in Afghanistan, and misspelled the son's surname. The Sun wrote a scathing article criticising his mistake ... and also misspelled the man's name. Gordon Brown wrote "Jamie James" instead of "Jamie Janes". It's worth noting Brown is blind in one eye, and has poor vision in the other. (Via Reddit)
Quick Links
1. If this description doesn't win Kereru the coveted Bird of the Year title for 2018, I don't know what will! "Kererū: Clumsy, drunk, gluttonous and glamorous, the kererū exudes a charming ennui that's a nice counterpoint to the industrious verve commonly observed in the bird world." Cast your vote here.
2. Putin's 2019 calendar is out.
3. Picking up mannerisms of your friends.
Video Pick
In case you missed it: Fox News guest tries to take a selfie live on air and fails...
Got a Sideswipe? Send your pictures, links and anecdotes to Ana at ana.samways@nzherald.co.nz