KEY POINTS:
Man in the mountain (see picture on right): A regular commuter between Taupo and Feilding noticed the melting snow on Ruapehu had left what looked like the face of an old man with a beard. "It was quite eerie ... Almost like the mountain, which we know is alive (from a volcanic perspective) is just sitting there watching over its domain."
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A television appearance of an Irish Government minister led to a diagnosis of a facial tumour. A surgeon viewer noticed his face did not move as a fatty piece of tissue would. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Conor Lenihan, 43, said he had ignored the growth because of work pressures but is now urging others to get check-ups. "I feel very lucky, to be honest, because I was literally on the television and only for the fact that I was placed on the outer seat I was spotted on camera by a particular consultant, who said I had this tumour which thankfully wasn't malignant," he said. (Source: Boingboing.net)
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Alan came across a community notice in the North Shore Times Advertiser. Under Adult Community Education, Music Drama and Dance, there is an entry for a two-session course at Westlake Boys High for "Air Guitar".
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Long way from Parnell: In his search for a street to represent Auckland's underclass, John Key is holding up McGehan Close in Owairaka as an example of his "empty tummies lead to empty lives" theory. But Mark Easterbrook points out on Public Address "he had better stop referring to it as being in 'South Auckland', as he did when talking to Havoc on bFM this morning." Owairaka is smack in the middle of Avondale, Mt Roskill, Mt Albert and Blockhouse Bay - hardly south. (Source: publicaddress.net/system)
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Malcolm of Ruawai writes: "If David Bevan of Howick had have been foolish enough to travel to Taupo and pay $170 a ticket as we did (and will not be doing again) for the A1GP, he would have noticed that not only was Black Beauty named after a whiteware company but the green and yellow thing was named after a tinny, Fosters."
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To the guys on their launch on the Waitamata Harbour on Wednesday night who unknowingly put their boat in the path of a fleet of sail boats engaged in racing, and watched with astonishment as the rigging of one particular boat removed their bait board and rods ... I have one of your rods and will gladly make arrangements for its return. Please contact Sideswipe, with a description of the gear and where it happened to prove ownership.
