Sideswipe: Cat among the peacocks

The notice at Wairakei Golf Course. Photo / Supplied

Cat among the peacocks

This notice (pictured) was spotted in the new pro shop at Wairakei Golf Course. The course has been surrounded by a huge, $2 million fence to keep vermin out to allow native flora and fauna to grow in between fairways. The new owner is introducing peacocks and other fowl, and there is talk of deer arriving as well. The notice looks to be from a previous owner (who has a house inside the fence). I guess they'd like the cat back before the new owner catches up with it and deals to it first."

Airline meanies

Rebekah Lamb, a final year medical student, is going to Zambia in six weeks to work in Mukinge Hospital. "I've been very kindly donated some old medical equipment from a hospital - as much as I can carry - so thought I'd ask for some extra baggage allowance. Cathay Pacific got back to me the next day, happy to offer an additional 10kg allowance to enable me to carry this equipment to Africa. Sadly, South African Airways didn't come to the party, with 'unfortunately South Africa Airways does not give extra baggage allowance', five days later. What a pity these supplies have to be thrown out because of the inflexibility of one airline."

Out of the box

The cardboard box from Lynne Doyle's washing machine wouldn't fit in the recycling bin, so she wedged it in between two bins in Wickford, England, thinking workers would pick it up. But when environmental officials saw what she'd done, they tracked her down and threatened her with a £300 ($620) fine for not properly disposing of the box. That began a six-month legal battle that ended only when local officials dropped the charges after Doyle said she was willing to go to trial over the matter. (Source: Reason.com)

Unwelcome welcome

"Following your story of culturally offensive 'love you long time' sushi outlet promotion - in downtown Auckland, the Thai restaurant Monsoon Poon has the words 'Love You Long Time' in brass, concreted into the footpath at its entrance," writes a reader. "Every patron walks right over top of it, just like GIs did to Vietnamese prostitutes."

Pushing the envelope

If New Zealand Post has reduced the size of its C4 envelopes, as your reader suggests, it is breaking with the international standard adopted by New Zealand in 1963, declares Brian Giles. "C4 is defined precisely (ISO 129) as 229 x 324mm with a tolerance of 2mm. It is defined to accommodate A4 sheets of paper. So New Zealand Post is probably contravening the Fair Trading Act (1986)."

Magic Mother's Day

Best Mother's Day tweet: "... Children give me unique back massage using toy bulldozer, toy golf stick and magic wand. Then they eat all my chocolates." (Sinead Boucher)