KEY POINTS:
From a website featuring babies and fathers: (source: manbabies.com)
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Dave of Warkworth reckons that if the local constabulary monitored the stop sign at the four-way corner of Queen St and Neville St in the centre of Warkworth, they could just about wipe out
the national debt. "In the space of 10 minutes, seventeen cars went through this stop sign and only three stopped. Of the 14 non-stoppers, three were 'official' vehicles. Remembering that Warkworth is a busy little rural town and I observed on a wet Monday morning around 11am, using Mark Hancock's mathematics we would end up with more than $15,000 on a good day, which Mr Cullen would be delighted to receive, this being somewhere close to $4 million a year ... As I work very close to this very colourful and obvious stop sign, we are assailed each day by the endless sounds of screeching brakes, angry horns, verbal abuse, threats, despair and short salutes, as well as seeing the faces of angry, and even amused, drivers with raised eyebrows. However, what amazes all the locals is the virtual absence of accidents; everyone seems to know the corner and the dangers that lurk there."
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One reader says she can beat Jacqui's ID story from yesterday. "I too, was asked for ID but I was 30, carrying my newborn and buying sparkling grape juice."
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Litter bosses in Newcastle, UK, have fined a teenager £50 ($125) for letting go of a balloon. Max Twizell, 16, was spotted by a council worker allowing it out of his hands at a charity event. Max inflated the helium-filled balloon but let it spiral away without tying the end. A council spokesman said: "We can confirm that we have issued a £50 fine to a teenager for dropping an item of litter. He has 28 days to pay and if not may face court action. To some people this may sound harsh but we believe that to create a cleaner, safer city we must send out a clear message that this will not be tolerated."
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To the reader commenting on the unfairness of not being able to claim the mandatory donations to their children's school: "You can, as long as you get a receipt and it clearly states "donation" on it. You need to fill in an IR526 - Rebate Claim form, which you can download from the IRD website."
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Yesterday's list of "unintentionally amusing metaphors written by high school English students" were similes, not metaphors. One reader helpfully gives an example: "My mum is like a hawk, swooping around to see what I am doing," is a simile. "My mum is a hawk, swooping around to what I am doing," is a metaphor.
Today's Webpick: This clip of an apparent granny ghost in an elevator was captured by a Singapore office buildings CCTV system. Skeptic or believer? Watch it here.
These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.