Sideswipe

A reader noted the Swanson "Surveylance" sign this week, and may have an explanation.


"This sign (see above) is at the entrance of the staff parking area, Swanson Primary School..."


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Faces of meth: Using the database of mugshots, a jail official in Oregon has created a slideshow of before and after images of methamphetamine users. The best public service scare tactic ever. Read the full story and see the gallery on oregonlive.com.

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Yesterday's 3 News opened with a report on failure in the NCEA (Not Confidently Educating Anyone) literacy exams. The channel's cover included a helpful report from its correspondent at "Parliamant" (as the caption told us). A READER noted the Swanson "Surveylance" sign this week, and may have an explanation. "This sign is at the entrance of the staff parking area, Swanson Primary School ... "

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In a January CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, in answer to the question whether President Bush is a "uniter" or a "divider", exactly 49 per cent of Americans said he was a uniter, and exactly 49 per cent said he was a divider.

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From Takapuna, P.G. Ashmore writes: "I don't wish to appear to be practising one-upmanship, but I reckon I can beat yesterday's headphone article. These are instructions for installation of the battery in an imported toy: '(A) It is install battry mark (B) Forefinger outward exert oneself, big fingernail forward push (C) Use hand put in A.' Long live the $2 shops."

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Valentine's Day postscript from the Sydney Morning Herald: "Among all the Valentine's Day schmaltz, it's a relief to hear a February 14 disaster. IT worker Kirsten Cheung's partner had promised that 18 long-stem roses and a request for her hand in marriage would arrive at her office on Monday. Disappointingly, only six roses appeared, so naturally she called the whole relationship off. "The other girls got 18 roses and a teddy bear and chocolate and I didn't even get a teddy bear," she told the Sydney Morning Herald. The hapless paramour's main crime was not lodging a thorough complaint with the flower delivery service, Roses Only. "He wasn't able to defend my consumer rights so I didn't accept. We will probably stop seeing each other for a while," Kirsten said. "I don't find him assertive enough."