Editorial: Shhhh . . . don't push our luck

There are a couple of basic no-nos in this journey called journalism.

They are not part of any training syllabus nor are they spoken of at any news meetings or regular round-ups. But they are there, and I have been guilty of them both ... and accordingly been lightly scalded by those I slipped up in mentioning them to.

The first is a very bad word if you are one of the fine front-line troops who proudly wear the blue. No, not the Napier City Rovers football team ... the police.

For when you are talking to one of the troops at the local police command centre you never use the "Q" word. It is a bad word, and likely to create that terrible situation often referred to as "Murphy's Law".

It's like a commentator lauding the prowess of the batsman on 99 and set to achieve a fine century. They talk him up, and next ball the off-stump is sent tumbling by a superb out-swinger from a bowler who up until then had leaked runs.

And so, to avoid putting the mockers on someone or something, when you call the police command centre to check on what's been happening you never finish your conversation with the words "well, I hope it stays quiet for you".

You don't say "quiet" because pound to a penny the you-know-what will hit the cooling device within mere minutes.

It's the same with the weather.

At this point in time there is a slightly grim sort of southerly system washing about bringing showers and grey skies, although for the past six weeks or so it has been superb summer skies.

It has been a great sort of summer, and it would be all too easy to start declaring another reason to uncork the champers in a few months time.

However, when you talk to winemakers you never talk about a "third spectacular vintage in a row".

The 2013 and 2014 efforts were absolutely remarkable but such flippant "we'll have another one" remarks are never discussed by the wine folk.

There was talk about a stellar season back in the summer of 1988 ... and then a thing called Cyclone Bola touched down in March and wrecked the landscape.

So at this stage of meteorological uncertainty one learns to say nothing about such things.

One stays quiet ... I mean, silent.