Sideswipe: Bum note

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"JB HI-FI in Westgate wants us to know their mobiles are off-key," says Ian.

Remuera mum run off her feet

A reader spied this ad on www.kiwioznannies.co.nz website - a mother who gets her priorities right, he says. "Morning nanny needed 4 mornings a week from 6.30-9am in Remuera. The family have 3 boys aged 5, 9, and 11. Duties will include: help get the three boys' breakfast and lunches made and out the door. The two older [boys] are quite independent at getting themselves ready so mainly helping the 5-year-old. The mother leaves the house to go for a run while the nanny helps out ..."

Mag only thinking of subscribers

Dave just received his second reminder to renew a membership of National Geographic. "That's the second reminder to renew for the year starting 1 January 2012! Apparently; 'as the anniversary of your membership approaches ... keep membership costs as low as possible ... ask members to post their fees early ... keeps renewal printing and postage costs down and allows us to pass the savings on to you'. Perhaps Nat Geo would like to keep costs down by waiting until the anniversary of my membership is actually approaching. I wonder how many more reminders they will post to me in the next six months."

Parking prices #1

"I laughed at the chap complaining about the pricing of car parks in Auckland," writes Pete. "I'm an expat Kiwi here in Brisbane and the cost of 4+ hours of parking in the city centre often exceeds $60 - the "early bird" parking before 9am is $25 so long as you leave before 6pm."

Parking prices #2

Paul says "$29 a day to park all day in Auckland city doesn't seem too bad. Even a $16 penalty for 4 minutes seems cheap. Standard parking in Sydney is now A$35 ($45) an hour thanks to state taxes, and one minute into the new hour counts as a full hour. I paid A$75 for just over an hour. Even that seemed cheap after my friend told me he parked in a disabled spot for 10 minutes and it cost him A$400."

Mind in the gutter update

The plate RDY24Q hanging in the cop shop featured on Serious Crash Unit ..."that plate was removed from my brother's car, a Mitsubishi Evolution 7 after police arrived at our house saying he has offensive plates on his vehicle. The plate was made and registered for 3 years prior to the police knocking at our door ... Does this officer have the right to hold this plate? Or should it have been left with my brother and told he isn't allowed to use them on any car?"