KEY POINTS:
You can tell a lot about a person by their celluloid tastes and a survey by local film website Flicks.co.nz cornered National Party leader John Key, among others, to reveal his down-time persona. Keen to paint himself as a family man (and point-score against the child-free Prime Minister)
the 42-year-old politician says his favourite movie is Johnny English. Huh? The dud movie that caused its star, Rowan Atkinson, to retire? "I have a busy schedule and when I manage to sit and watch a movie, I like to 'zone out' and simply be entertained. If it is a movie that I can enjoy with my family, even better. Rowan Atkinson is a brilliant comic and this is an excellent forum for his talents," says Key in his explanation on Flicks. The film Key says he least likes is the 1974 best picture Oscar nominee The Exorcist: "I don't find scary films entertaining; as I said above I like to relax and enjoy a movie with my family. The Exorcist certainly doesn't fit into that category!" Helen Clark chose the bio of young South American revolutionary Che Guevara, The Motorcycle Diaries, and declined to pick a worst film. Cast votes at www.flicks.co.nz before the end of May.
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Ann Clarkson of Albany saw this ad in the employment section of the North Shore Times. Dirty applicants okay. "DENTAL ASSISTANT: Part time needed for busy practice in North Shore to cover maternity leave from start April for 4 months. About 21hrs per week. Possibly long term. Cleaning will be given if needed."
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An owner of a DVD shop in Naugatuck, Connecticut, placed a sign in front of a parking lot which is also used by a tattoo establishment saying: "Easter: Beep for Christ." Tattoo artist Phil Young of the No Regrets salon then put up his own sign that says, "Honk twice for ..." and shows a caricature of a red devil underneath. Duelling horns blared out all day from the cars of hundreds of passing commuters. Young said his clients came from a range of religious backgrounds and cultures and he didn't want them to feel alienated from his business. But Christian Claudette Soden, the owner of Photos Onto DVD, said: "His sign is not bothering me, but I know it's bothering Jesus."
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A reader writes: "Social Policy, Research and Evaluation (SPRE) Conference 2007: About 900 earnest social policy wonks came to Wellington for three days this week, pontificating and pondering how life could be made better for the lower socio-economic groupings, paying a $700 registration fee each. Smart bag provided, with thick conference guide on heavy art paper, spiral bound. Fabulous lunch served but caterers say only half the people turned up so huge amounts of excellent food thrown away. Can't give it to the poor and needy because of "health" regulations. Wonder where the rest went to eat, and why, and how much they paid for it, and who will pay their expenses bill? Film screening in the evening. Only a handful turn up, 100 boxes of popcorn thrown away. What if they all stayed home and the registration, travel and accommodation expenses were put towards support systems for the poor and needy?"
