Sideswipe: May 2: That's cats for you ...

Wisdom shared

On his 70th birthday

tech writer Kevin Kelly

shares 103 bits of wisdom he wished he had known when he was younger ... Here are a few of my favourites:

1. Cultivate 12 people who love you, because they are worth more than 12 million people who like you.

2. Anything you say before the word "but" does not count.

3. When you forgive others, they may not notice, but you will heal. Forgiveness is not something we do for others; it is a gift to ourselves.

4. Efficiency is highly overrated; Goofing off is highly underrated. Regularly scheduled sabbaths, sabbaticals, vacations, breaks, aimless walks and time off are essential for top performance of any kind. The best work ethic requires a good rest ethic.

5. The best way to get a correct answer on the internet is to post an obviously wrong answer and wait for someone to correct you.

6. The biggest lie we tell ourselves is "I don't need to write this down because I will remember it".

7. Your growth as a conscious being is measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations you are willing to have.

8. Aim to die broke. Give to your beneficiaries before you die; it's more fun and useful. Spend it all. Your last cheque should go to the funeral home and it should bounce.

A civilised war in Masterton.

Costly ferry to Devonport

"One evening this week our Devonport ferry docked at the Waiheke berth in Auckland and as we alighted, we tagged off with other passengers at the adjacent card reader," writes Paul Cornish. "It then transpired that our cards had been charged the $21 Waiheke fare instead of the $4 Devonport fare (despite tagging on at Devonport) and that we should have known to use the reader at the entrance to the quay. A visit to the AT ticket booth resulted in a credit being given but I wonder how many other innocent hop card users might suffer the same fate."

Did you know?

1. Dogs "play sneeze" when they're feeling excited or playful. "Play sneezes" mean your dog is having a good time and indicate to other dogs that their behaviour is only play.

2. In 2019, 50 years after colour TV launched in the United Kingdom, there were still 6000 homes with TV licences for black and white televisions only.

3. Queen Elizabeth II has an official shoe-wearer who breaks in her shoes so they don't give her blisters.