KEY POINTS:
A 1960s Christmas ad for scales.
The copy reads: "This year there is no gift like Borg's magnificent bath scale, the 'Flight'. This jewel-like beauty sparkles like a precious gem in any bathroom and puts an end to weight-guessing."
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Councillor Cathy Casey writes: "On Sunday night my partner and I were on our way back from the Carols by Candlelight at Potters Park. As we drove home we were lamenting the passing of the good old-fashioned Christmas hymns in favour of the modern stuff and were revisiting (with gusto) our favourites.
On verse two of Good King Wenceslas I spotted some red and blue flashing lights in my rear vision mirror. I moved over to let them past but was horrified when I realised it was me they were interested in. I had been oblivious to the fact that I was doing 69km/h in a 50km/h zone. The incident was beautifully handled by a very friendly constable. As he wrote my $120 infringement, I cringed when I gave my occupation as "Auckland City councillor".
I cringed even worse when the smiling constable then gave me a bag of Auckland City Council jelly beans for being a sober driver. Beneath the message "Life's sweet, drive sober" was that dreaded wavy triangle!"
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An American tourist staying at Aoraki-Mt Cook recently bit off more than she could chew. Puzzled housekeeping staff were called to aid The Hermitage hotel guest who complained that she couldn't get her pizza out of the microwave oven in her room.
Turns out that it was a case of mistaken identity - the guest had put the pizza in the safe and, while pressing buttons, had activated the lock.
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A bar manager has defied predictions of a Christmas spending squeeze by creating one of the country's most expensive cocktails - at £100 ($264) per glass. Lucky XIII, mixed with Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac, is the invention of James Maloney, of Henry Africa's Hothouse in Bristol.
The exclusive drink consists of the Louis XIII brandy, Dom Perignon, two drops of angostura bitters and a sugarcube.