The Biz: Profit soars in 104 minutes

Last week we told you the connection between Advantage Group and baked beans. Well, it seems this week we have more reason to draw your attention to a load of hot air. A Biz staffer attending the group's AGM reports receiving CEO Greg Cross' speech before the meeting - at 8.31 am to be precise - which included a profit for the quarter of $3.52 million. But when the actual speech was made - some time after 10 am, the profit mysteriously increased to $3.81 million. A gaffe in the unaudited figures? Or a company that can earn $290,000 in approximately 104 minutes? If the latter is correct, shareholders must be salivating over the company's potential for the remaining seven months of the year ...

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Despite the prevalence of number 8 wire, the bungi jump and the Jandal, people still have a hard time believing Kiwis are the greatest of thinkers. But not to worry ... a "rare conference on thinking" is about to hit town. Edward de Bono (author of How to be more Interesting et al), Dr Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - try saying that name six times after a few ales - and Sandra Witleson, the woman who dissected Einstein's brain, are part of the line-up of international speakers. The event will debate how New Zealanders can think their way to a better future. Some might argue that unfortunately, we are too prone to trying to do exactly that.

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The typos that turn up in press releases cause many a chortle for us at the Biz. Of course, we never make typos ourselves. Still, we would hope to know the difference between a school roll and its role. We are not sure whether people wait with baited [sic] breath for what the Florida courts will say about the US presidential election; if they do, it may be a great opportunity for mouthwash companies. But we can perhaps forgive the enthusiastic scribe who penned a release saying the sale of some medical software by an Auckland firm came "hot on the heals" of an earlier triumph. We hia the dizeased frase was surjically removed.

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Spotted on the shores of Taupo recently, a high-flying coastal property developer stalking elusive daylight trout. Nothing too unusual in that except that from where the Biz was trolling offshore it appeared that his rod wasn't the only thing on offer. Risking all to keep his Woolly Bugger - a wet fly, to catch fish we mean - close to the action, it seems the angler had omitted to don his waders and was fishing butt naked.

Must have kept his tip up, though: within minutes he was seen landing a well-conditioned, if slightly bewildered, 2kg rainbow.