KEY POINTS:
Chris frequently drives from Hamilton to Taumarunui and is fascinated to see what the Department of Conservation considers a scenic reserve. "It did have some scenic value as a pine plantation until it was clear-felled a few months ago. At least they left the native ferns!"
* *
*
British landlady Kim Peters says she is happier renting to convicted terrorist Abu Qatada than to her previous tenants - 15 rowdy Australians who trashed the place. Peters used a letting agent to rent out her house and learned only a few days ago that the convicted terrorist was her new tenant, but said: "I have no intention of kicking him out. I am pleased to have a family living in the property. They are looking after my house and that is all I'm interested in. Whatever he has done in the past has nothing to do with it. He's done nothing wrong in my eyes and, as they have a family, I expect that they will keep the place nice."
* * *
Peter Sanders received his brand-new recycling wheelie bin from Manukau City and wanted to know what to do with his old one: "I called up to ask if they want the old cracked plastic bins (which belong to them) back, or shall I just put them in my new bin? It turns out the recycling bins are themselves non-recyclable. The council rep on the phone could not give me a reason why they were designed like that ... "
* * *
John Campbell may have abandoned his tie too soon - the traditional necktie appears to be making a comeback thanks to hard economic times. Tie merchants have enjoyed a 10 per cent increase in UK sales in the last three months. The reason their trade is flourishing against a grim economic backdrop is, they say, that office workers are desperate to "smarten up" to avoid being picked for redundancy.
(Source: Telegraph Group Ltd)
* * *
The six Most Annoying Types of Co-worker
1. The Naysayer. Delights in shooting down ideas that alter the status quo.
2. The Spotlight Stealer. Tries to take full credit for collaborative efforts and impress higher-ups.
3. The Buzzwordsmith. Sacrifices clear communication in favour of showcasing an expansive vocabulary of cliched business terms.
4. The Inconsiderate Emailer. Addicted to the "reply all" function, this "cc" supporter clogs colleagues' already-overflowing inboxes with unnecessary messages.
5. The Interrupter. (self-explanatory).
6. The Stick-in-the-Mud. This person is all business all of the time.
(Source: Yahoo.com)
* * *
Umbrellas at Vector Arena: A reader writes and explains that the arena holds 12,000 people at maximum capacity and "if even half take dripping wet umbrellas inside on to the solid concrete floor, the complaints would then be of people slipping over and injuring themselves."
Today's Webpick: Where The Hell Is Matt? (2008): Matt Harding, the Australian who filmed himself dancing a jig at all over the world is back with a new video (he filmed in Auckland too, getting down with some youngies in Albert Park). Watch it here.
These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.
