Wide load spotted on Arthurs Pass on its way to Greymouth. (Snapped by Emma)
An expensive night out - and that was just the taxi ride
"Over Valentine's weekend my wife and I decided to enjoy another fabulous weekend on Waiheke," writes Bob. "We decided to get a cab to Te Whau bay (6.5km trip) where we had rented a romantic cottage. The taxi driver from [a local taxi outfit] was very happy to take us and was extremely pleasant on our short trip - there was good reason for her to be so happy ... the fare was $80! The driver then said that since we were 'almost locals' she would give us a discount. In the end we were charged $70 plus $2 for credit card - $11 per km! We then used [another local taxi company] for the return journey to the ferry and were charged $40."
Son of a gun, it's another Ruger
The popularity in the US of naming children after guns (Colt, Remington, Ruger, Gunner, Beretta) is on the up. "In 2002, only 194 babies were named Colt, while in 2012 there were 955. Just 185 babies were given the name Remington in 2002, but by 2012 the number had jumped to 666. Perhaps the most surprising of all, however, is a jump in the name Ruger (America's leading firearm manufacturer) from just 23 in 2002 to 118 in 2012. This name [Ruger] is more evidence of parents' increasing interest in naming children after firearms," writes Laura Wattenberg, creator of BabyNameWizard.com. "Colt, Remington, and Gauge have all soared, and Gunner is much more common than the traditional name Gunnar." (Source: kottke.org)
