1. My mum told her first-grade teacher her favourite colour was magenta. Her teacher punished her for not picking a real colour and for arguing with her about it. My great-grandma, a painter, sent my mom to school the next day with a tube of magentapaint!
2. I got sent to the principal’s office for using the word “plethora”. The teacher thought it was a swear word. So did the principal. Yes, they looked it up. And there is some obscure, arcane definition that means a swelling of a body part. This, of course, is the only definition my teacher knew, not the extremely common one.
3. A teacher confidently told us multiple times that in a court of law we are guilty until proven innocent. Pretty sure she got it backwards.
4. That the moon emits light, just like the sun. As a nerdy kid interested in space I told her that it’s actually reflecting the light of the sun but she did not believe me.
New nickname for PM?
New Zealand's new Prime Minister.
Warren Johns wonders if Prime Minister Chris Hipkins (aka “Chippy”) has another nickname − “Tintin”? An amiable, intrepid, good-humoured, quick thinking and perhaps above all straightforward.” (Source the Oldie magazine 2016)
Glasses waiting for the bus
Alan writes: “Someone left their glasses at our picturesque ‘Popes Corner’ bus stop on Waiheke. We are here till Saturday then back in Auckland central. Call me on 021909953.”
Fun fact
An audio recording of a lock being opened provides enough data to reproduce the key required to open that lock, even with a cell phone’s microphone.
