WYSIWYG NEWS - 19 January, 2004
Brian Harmer
----- WYSIWYG NEWS -------------------------------
Copyright, Brian Harmer
Happy 20th birthday for yesterday Helen! For those who don't know,
Helen who does the formatting of WYSIWYG News each week, is my much
loved younger daughter. She's a bit crazy, but then who of her age is
not? :-) I know she was at the "Big Day Out" concert in Auckland this
week which sort of proves my point. Metallica? Bleah! Give me a break!
Anyway, back to the glory days of a Wellington summer. Several days
have recently been around 26 degrees C in the late afternoon and in my
opinion that is pleasantly warm, and not too hot. It's very hard to
contrast that with the sudden gales towards the end of last week.
Never mind, that was then, and now is nice. Our painters have just
completed the outside of our house, and have done the most thorough
and professional job I have ever seen, taking it back to bare wood
when necessary, and preparing an excellent foundation for the new
paint. If any Wellingtonians want a really good painter, I shall be
very happy to pass his name on to you. Anyway, that's another worry
that I hope is behind us for eight to ten years.
Last weekend, Mary and I took Grace, our little granddaughter to the
McKenzie pool in Petone. It is a small open air heated pool just on
the edge of the light industrial part of Udy Street. From the road,
nothing but a wooden fence and a lot of noise from within. Inside, the
space is well used by families for picnicking, barbecues, sunbathing,
and of course swimming. The main pool is probably too small for
serious swimmers, but none of us was in that category, and since Grace
is just two years and six months, we stayed at the children's paddling
pool. The water looks clean and clear, and being outdoors, the
overpowering chlorine smell of many indoor pools is almost entirely
absent. Mindful of the dangers of excessive sun, the council has
arranged large canvas "sails" stretched across portions of the pool so
that those who prefer shade can splash and play without risk of
sunburn.
It seems so long ago since Helen, who was herself a beautiful child,
at about the same age, walked off the edge of the same pool and sank
like a rock to the bottom. I leaped in fully clothed, shoes and socks
and long trousers, and pulled her out struggling and spluttering. It
must have taken a full ten or fifteen seconds after she was out of the
water before the inward rush of air gave way to the most alarming and
sustained bellow of indignation and outrage. Happily that subsided
into muffled sobs, and before long she re-entered the water in a more
controlled fashion, and the incident was, as far as I know, forgotten.
The pool has been modified in the intervening years so the place where
Helen fell in is now a much improved entry ramp and it is much harder
for infants to fall unexpectedly into deep water. So young Grace
splashed happily about in the water, playing with the paddle boards
floating about and generally having a good time, just as Helen did all
those years ago, while I sat on the edge and contemplated all that had
happened in Helen's life since then. Hope you had a great day Helen,
with lots of love from me and all the family, and I am sure, your
friends who read and appreciate your contributions to WYSIWYG.
-----
Any text above this point, and all subsequent material in parentheses,
and concluded with the initials "BH" is the personal opinion of Brian
Harmer as editor of this newsletter, or occasionally "HH" will
indicate an opinion from Helen. In all cases they are honest
expressions of personal opinion, and are not presented as fact.
All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced by kind
permission of copyright owner, Newstalk ZB News All copyright in the
news items reproduced remains the property of The Radio Network
Limited.
Formatting this week by courtesy of Elisabeth Piskolti-Caldwell in
Geneva. Many thanks Elisabeth.
----
On with the news
Monday, 12 January
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STUDENT JOB PLACEMENTS DOWN
---------------------------
Palmerston North students are finding it is easier said than done to
make a buck over the summer. Student Job Search Manager Barry Dowell
says job placements are down 16 percent for the summer and the
situation is not improving. He says this means the upcoming tertiary
year could be a difficult one for many students to finance.
Barry Dowell says many students do not receive a student allowance and
rely on summer work to support themselves.
(I don't think these problems are confined to students from Palmerston
North - BH)
WEBSITE MONITORS PETROL PRICES
-------------------------------
A website has been set up to keep oil companies honest.
Pricewatch.co.nz lists the pump price at service stations throughout
New Zealand. The data is collected by a company called Cardlink which
manages fuel cards.
Director Linc Burgess says that when motorists use the cards, the
price paid for fuel is entered on a database.
He says the price at a single service station is not counted until
several transactions have been logged to prove the validity. Mr
Burgess says many consumers seem to choose service stations based on
price and the volatility in the fuel market over the past year has
created a great deal of interest.
RUMOURS FLY OVER CALEB AND ZARA
-------------------------------
All Black Caleb Ralph is reportedly playing down rumours the Queen's
granddaughter is on her way to New Zealand to visit him. There are
reports Zara Phillips - the daughter of Princess Anne - is flying to
Canterbury to be reunited with the rugby player she met in Australia
at the World Cup. New Zealand Women's Weekly editor Nicky Pellegrino
says Ralph has claimed he did not know the young royal was on her way,
and that stories about their romance have been exaggerated. However,
Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper is claiming that the rugby player
travelled round the world so the pair could celebrate New Year's Eve
together. The paper says the couple partied the night away at a
private party at Princess Anne's Gatcombe Park Estate in
Gloucestershire.
(Drat these slow news days! Who cares? - BH)
DIESEL RISE IMPACTS TRUCKING INDUSTRY
--------------------------------------
The fuel price hike will hurt your wallet at more places than the
service station. The trucking industry says a rise in the cost of
diesel will ultimately be passed on to consumers. Diesel has risen in
price by about five cents a litre this week. Road Transport Forum
chief executive Tony Freidlander says profit margins are already very
low in the highly competitive trucking industry. He says any extra
costs are passed on to clients and then to consumers over the course
of one to three months. Mr Freidlander does not blame local fuel
suppliers for the price hike, as he has noticed no significant
increase in their profit margins in recent months. He says New Zealand
cannot be insulated from the world market but the strengthening kiwi
dollar has actually cushioned New Zealand from a rise in world oil
prices.
Tuesday, 13 January
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MEAT NZ WEIGHS UP BEEF OPTIONS
------------------------------
Meat New Zealand says it will have to weigh up all the options before
it starts diverting product to Asia. It has met with representatives
from Japan looking for a new beef supply in the wake of the US mad cow
disease case. Meat New Zealand CEO Mark Jeffries says this country has
just one percent of the Japanese market. But he says diverting product
to meet the demands of Asian nations banning US beef may not be
totally straight forward. Mr Jeffries says relationships with North
America, where 70 per cent of New Zealand product goes, may take
priority.
TEAR GAS USED IN POLICE STANDOFF
--------------------------------
A man suspected of a home invasion in west Auckland in December has
been arrested after an armed standoff with police. The man will appear
in Waitakere District Court this morning on charges relating to the
incident. Police say he gave himself up today, half an hour after
police surrounded a house in the Auckland suburb of Mt Albert.
A woman in the house waited another hour and a half before also
surrendering. Tear gas was fired during the stand off.
KIWI SOARS ON US ECONOMY
------------------------
America's weak economy is the main reason why the New Zealand dollar
is soaring according to experts. The kiwi is currently sitting on
68.19 US cents. Tim Preston, the managing director of ASB Securities,
says the New Zealand dollar's performance is driven by current account
deficits in the US, which could record a shortfall for the previous
year of around $733 billion. Mr Preston says US authorities do not
seem too concerned about the situation and are not trying to stabilise
the greenback, preferring to allow the economy recover by itself. He
predicts the New Zealand dollar will climb to around 70 US cents
before falling back.
ALLEGED "POLITE ROBBERS" IN COURT
---------------------------------
Three alleged members of the so-called 'polite robbers' gang have
appeared in the Auckland District Court. Police have accused the gang
of raiding a number of service stations in the Auckland region over
the past two months.
Desmond and Tony Tana, and Shaun Rankin are all charged with the
burglaries of between four and seven service stations. Two other
people are also facing similar charges - one is yet to appear in
court, and Mark Tana is still being sought by police. The judge denied
an application for bail by Rankin. He and Desmond and Tony Tana have
been remanded in custody until the end of the month.
NINE YEARS JAIL FOR CUSTOMS OFFICER
-----------------------------------
Strong emotions have been seen at the Auckland District Court at the
sentencing of a customs officer who admitted importing drugs. Tori
Puata helped drug couriers smuggle hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth of methamphetamine over a seven month period last year. Puata
and family members who had gone to support him wept as he apologised
to the court for his actions. The 26-year-old's uncle also addressed
the court. His lawyer asked the judge to take into account the
family's support and Puata's earlier admission of guilt. However,
Judge Lockhart said while that must be taken into account, so too must
Puata's breach of trust and the seriousness of his offending. He
sentenced Puata to nine years in prison with a minimum non-parole
period of five years. Acting Comptroller of Customs Tim Horner says he
is acutely disappointed by Puata's actions which have absolutely no
place in the organisation. He says Puata's actions in this case were a
"complete and utter betrayal of the faith and expectations vested in a
Customs official".
He says an exhaustive investigation undertaken in conjunction with
police identified that no other Customs officer was involved in this
offending.
Wednesday, 14 January
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
KIWI NOT A SARS VICTIM
----------------------
The Foreign Affairs Ministry says a New Zealander in Siberia has died
from atypical pneumonia, and not Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
Original reports from Russian authorities suggested the 44-year-old
died after contracting SARS. He was in Siberia after being invited to
travel there by a marriage agency. He then became ill with a high
temperature before dying. Pathologists say he died of a severe
infection in both lung chambers.
HORROR AT LATEST TOILET ATTACK
------------------------------
The Hospitality Association is horrified by news a Christchurch bar is
the latest place where a person has received chemical burns from a
toilet. Four woman were hurt over the weekend after coming into
contact with a white gel like substance smeared over a public toilet
in Sydenham. Now a fifth woman has come forward after receiving burns
at an inner city bar on Saturday night.
Hospitality Association spokeswoman Susan Biss says it is a matter of
great concern for their members as the safety of patrons is their
paramount concern. She says they will be urging members to be extra
vigilant and watch their security. Meanwhile, Christchurch police say
it is too soon to say if the two chemical burn incidents in the city
are linked. Sergeant Lew Corbett says they are still waiting for ESR
results to see what substance has been used so they cannot say
definitively that the incidents are related. He says they want to hear
from anyone with information on either case.
(The person who smeared a corrosive gel on the seats in public toilets
in Christchurch should be put in stocks in the middle of Cathedral
Square so that the world can get a good look at the kind of person who
could do such a thing. The anonymity often seen as an accused person
rushes to or from a court with head covered by a jacket should not be
afforded to this person. Of course the trial needs to be held first,
but anyone found guilty of this abomination needs to be exposed to the
public gaze. - BH)
VISA SCHEME EXTENDED NATIONWIDE
-------------------------------
A trial scheme aimed at alleviating five-hour-long visa queues at
immigration offices will be extended nationwide. Last year, the
Immigration Service was overwhelmed by the large number of foreign
students seeking student visas. To address the problem, a trial was
launched to handle applications on campus at Lincoln University.
Immigration Service acting general manager Aaron Baker says the scheme
has worked well and by June, nine tertiary institutions will have
adopted it.
It is hoped the service will be available at all universities by the
end of the year.
PACIFIC BLUE LOOKS AT DOMESTIC ROUTES
-------------------------------------
A business analyst believes Air New Zealand could cope with more
competition on the domestic market as new carrier Pacific Blue
considers taking on a domestic service. Pacific Blue's first
trans-Tasman flight between Christchurch and Brisbane is scheduled to
start on January 29. The budget airline also plans to run services
between Christchurch and Melbourne and Wellington and Sydney, and is
talking with Auckland Airport about the possibility of domestic slots.
Roger Kerr from Asia Pacific Risk Management says more competition is
good news for the traveller and he does not think it spells doom for
Air New Zealand. He says the national carrier's accounts are strong
with the high New Zealand dollar and reduced jet fuel costs.
OZZIES NOT THE ONLY DOCTOR POACHERS
-----------------------------------
The Medical Association is calling for urgent action to ensure New
Zealand has sufficient doctors in the future.
It has been revealed that New Zealand doctors are being offered high
hourly rates of pay and good conditions to make up the shortfalls in
Australia's hospitals. Association chairman, Tricia Briscoe, says
Britain, Canada and a number of other countries are also actively
recruiting New Zealand medical staff. Dr Briscoe says conditions must
be made more attractive to encourage trained medical graduates to stay
in New Zealand and district health boards must have sufficient funding
to retain doctors in areas where there are shortages. She is calling
on the Government to provide more specific and timely action to
support the medical workforce. Dr Briscoe believes increased subsidies
for general practitioners also need to be extended to all areas of the
country.
MANAKAU CITY COUNCIL TO HELP NIUE
---------------------------------
Manukau City will make a financial donation to the people of Niue
after last week's cyclone. The city is home to 7,000 Niueans, more
than four times the number that live on the small Pacific island
itself. The next council meeting in just over a fortnight will also
consider what else it can do for the storm-ravaged nation, including
providing storage space for donated supplies. It will also assess
whether council staff can provide any of the expertise needed to help
with the rebuilding. Mayor Sir Barry Curtis says that immediately
after Cyclone Heta struck, the council put in place all measures it
could take at the time to assist Niueans.
NAME SUPPRESSION LIFTED IN PORT WAIKATO CASE
--------------------------------------------
Name suppression has been lifted on the man charged with the murder of
two people at Port Waikato earlier this year. Bernard Taylor appeared
in the Pukekohe District Court this morning. The solo father from Port
Waikato is to appear for a pre-depositions hearing next month.
DOG'S DEATH REMAINS A MYSTERY
-----------------------------
Algal bloom and jellyfish have all but been ruled out as the
mysterious cause of a dog's death on a Kapiti beach on Tuesday. The
six-year-old golden retriever started frothing at the mouth and fell
down in a fit after swimming at Paraparaumu. Another dog has also been
reported to be unwell. Kapiti District Council spokesman Tony Cronin
says officials need to make sure the water is safe for both humans and
dogs. He says as the investigation has progressed they had hoped that
jellyfish would be the culprits, but autopsy results seem to indicate
that is not the case, even though there are a number of jellyfish
around. Mr Cronin says it does not appear to be an algal bloom either.
He says the council's regular testing programme has all but ruled out
blooms or any form of pollution. He told Newstalk ZB's Tim Dower there
is always a chance the dog died of natural causes, but he says the
Council has to play it safe until a definite cause is identified. He
says the beach is a little emptier than it might normally have been at
this time of year, but there have been no further stories of anyone
getting into trouble. Mr Cronin says while the Council has taken on
board suggestions that a poisonous sea snake is responsible, he
believes it is unlikely.
(I wonder how many metropolitan dailies in the world spend time on the
death of a pet, no matter how deplorable? - BH)
Thursday, 15 January
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SKY CITY'S TALKS A "NATURAL PROGRESSION"
----------------------------------------
Sky City is expected to make a big hit if it manages to pull off its
latest acquisition attempt. The company is trying to expand its casino
empire in Australia, and is negotiating to buy the Grand Darwin
Casino, owned by Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage. Sky City already owns a
casino in Adelaide. ASB Securities Managing Director Tim Preston says
such an acquisition would be a natural progression for Sky City.
However, he says that while the company is a good manager, it remains
to be seen whether it can dominate the industry in Australia to the
same extent as it does in New Zealand. Mr Preston says the market has
reacted indifferently to the announcement, but it is bound to bear
fruit for shareholders if the purchase goes ahead. He says any
investor who reflects on Sky City's record would be backing the
company to add value.
NGC CONCLUDES KAHILI GAS DEAL
-----------------------------
New Zealand gas and metering company NGC Holdings Ltd has concluded a
deal to buy gas from the onshore Kahili field in Taranaki and says it
could be brought to market by mid-2004. NGC, 66 percent owned by The
Australian Gas Light Co, released initial details of the deal last
August. Kahili currently has one production well which is expected to
produce around five petajoules (4.75 billion cubic feet of gas), but
production could increase if the joint venture owners drill additional
wells, NGC said in a statement. The Kahili joint venture partners are
Austral Pacific Energy Ltd, Tap Oil Ltd and International Resource
Management Corp. NGC will build, own and operate pre-treatment
facilities and an export pipeline to deliver gas to its existing
infrastructure in the North Island region of Taranaki, including its
Kapuni gas treatment plant, at a cost of NZ$8 million. "Execution of
the Kahili agreements represents an important milestone in NGC's
strategy to work with explorer/developers to develop smaller,
previously uneconomic gas reserves," NGC said. Price rises for gas
from New Zealand's main field Maui, which is scheduled to reach the
end of its productive life in 2007, were fixed by the government at
half the inflation rate. NGC shares closed up one cent at NZ$2.35.
RELEASE OF CRASH TRANSCRIPTS DEBATED
------------------------------------
The Airways Corporation maintains that it has not been ordered by the
Ombudsman to release transcripts of air traffic control tapes from a
fatal air crash. Media organisations are seeking copies of the
transcripts into last year's Air Adventure crash near Christchurch,
which claimed the lives of eight people. Corporation spokesman Ken
Mitchell acknowledges a letter has been received from the Ombudsman
stating reasons the information should be released. But he says the
Ombudsman has made no order on the matter and Airways is currently
writing a reply. Mr Mitchell says that once the point is resolved, a
decision will be made on whether the transcripts will be made public.
(I am not sure that the same considerations apply to air traffic
control recordings as to cockpit voice recordings. It will be
interesting to see where this goes to. - BH)
INMATE STILL ON THE RUN
-----------------------
An inmate who escaped from the Hawke's Bay regional prison is still
missing. Police say Mathew George Kidman is considered dangerous and
should not be approached by the public. He escaped at about 10.30am on
Thursday. He has very short brown hair, is around 1.9 metres tall, and
of thin build. Police say he has contacts in both Hawke's Bay and
Wellington.
PLUM JOBS FOR APPLE PICKERS
---------------------------
A record crop of apples in Hawke's Bay this season has growers
worried. They do not have enough people to pick them. Hawke's Bay
Fruitgrowers Association Chairman, Jonathan Wiltshire, says this year
it is likely there will be two million more cartons of apples than
last year. But he says employment is very high in the region at the
moment, and it is usually the unemployed who are directed to the
horticulture industry for picking season.
Friday, 16 January
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BIG DAY OUT FOR PARKING WARDENS
-------------------------------
Tow trucks and Parking Wardens are having a field day at the
Auckland's Big Day Out. They are in the process of removing cars
parked illegally in the streets surrounding Ericsson Stadium. Around
15 cars have been towed so far.
Auckland City's Parking Services Manager says no-stopping areas were
introduced around the stadium two days ago.
There is a maximum crowd of 45,000, and police say everything is going
smoothly and everyone is enjoying themselves. There have not been any
arrests at this stage. The music festival began at 11 this morning and
runs for 12 hours, with 60 acts performing on seven stages during the
day.
(Humour is a very subjective thing. Sometimes funny man, Raybon Kan
wrote of the Metallica fans that they dressed like people attending an
interview for a job they desperately didn't want to get - BH)
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE ON WHENUAPAI
------------------------------
Submissions are about to close on the future of Whenuapai Air Base in
west Auckland. The Defence Force has received around one thousand
submissions. Director of Property Rationalising, Peter Bollmann says
most submissions are debating whether it should be converted to a
commercial airport. He says there are also plenty of people who have
particular ideas about what should be done with the former airbase.
(I wonder how many WWII aviators there still are who flew to the
Pacific war from the great concrete slab runways at Whenuapai. - BH)
TAIL DOCKING PROVOKES ROW
--------------------------
The New Zealand Kennel Club says it will oppose plans to outlaw tail
docking. Labour MP Dianne Yates is introducing an amendment to animal
welfare legislation banning the practice on dogs. She says the
Veterinary Association opposes it on the grounds it is purely
cosmetic, and she claims the majority of dog owners also believe it is
cruel. But Kennel Club president Ray Greer says if Ms Yates' concerns
for animal welfare were genuine she would include all animals. He says
it appears she considers the dog fraternity an easier target than
Federated Farmers.
TESTS CONTINUE INTO MYSTERY DOG DEATH
--------------------------------------
Tests are continuing on a dog that mysteriously died after swimming at
Paraparaumu Beach this week. Abbey, a golden retriever, rushed out of
the water and collapsed on Wednesday. Kapiti Coast District Council's
environmental protection officer Rod Shaw says an autopsy has been
done but there are other tests still to be done. Mr Shaw says
scientists are eliminating things such as 1080 and algal toxins. He
does not expect that results will come through until next week.
INTERNET SCAM UNDER INVESTIGATION
----------------------------------
Crooks in Latvia have discovered a way to steal Internet banking codes
and transfer your money. Police here are investigating the scam, which
has seen $3,000 stolen from someone's account. A $15,000 transaction
through Westpac was blocked by the bank. National E-Crime Manager,
Maarten Kleintjes says the criminals are able to exploit a two-part
virus which can enter your computer through such things as movie
trailers downloaded from the web. He says the second part of the virus
scans a number of computers on the web which have the first part, and
then makes contact. Mr Kleintjes says your machine can then be
instructed to save user names and passwords.
COURT DATE AFTER BABY'S DISAPPEARANCE
-------------------------------------
A 25-year-old Auckland woman is due in court today, following concern
about a baby, who went missing from her Auckland home on Wednesday
night. The 10-month-old girl was last seen after she had been placed
in the care of a female family friend for a short time on Wednesday.
Police were about to make an appeal to the public for information when
the baby was found safe and well in Ngaruawahia, in Waikato, last
night.
AXE-WIELDING YOUTHS CAUGHT
--------------------------
Police have nabbed a group of youths believed to be responsible for a
trail of destruction on Auckland's North Shore. The incident happened
last week as a group of Beach Haven youths sought revenge for an
attack on a member of their group. It is alleged the young people
armed themselves with an axe and softball bat, and went to seek out
their rivals at Brown's Bay. Car windows were smashed, an occupant was
dragged from his car and was demanded to hand over his money. A park
bench was also destroyed with an axe and a petrol station damaged.
Seven youths have appeared in court on a variety of charges while two
others are still on the run.
P CAMPAIGN TOO LITTLE TOO LATE
------------------------------
The Government is under fire from Opposition parties over its efforts
to combat the drug P. A Massey University study has found the pure
methamphetamine problem is spreading. ACT and the Greens are now
calling for an independent inquiry into the most effective way to
combat the drug. ACT MP Muriel Newman says the government is not
properly allocating resources to deal with the problems
Greens-co leader Rod Donald says not enough thought has gone into ways
of combating the drug. National's Tony Ryall says the government's
move to set up two specialist methamphetamine response teams is to
little, too late.
THE FINANCIAL PAGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Date: 15 January 2004 Brian Dooley
Wellington New Zealand
CURRENCIES
~~~~~~~~~~
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JPY 73.42
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INTEREST RATES (%)
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Jim Purdie
"Brian Harmer" <brian....@paradise.net.nz> wrote in message
news:4d6n00pidh03udl5l...@4ax.com...
> subject: 19 January, 2004
> ----- WYSIWYG NEWS -------------------------------
> Copyright, Brian Harmer
>
> It seems so long ago since Helen, who was herself a beautiful child,
> at about the same age, walked off the edge of the same pool and sank
> like a rock to the bottom. I leaped in fully clothed, shoes and socks
> and long trousers, and pulled her out struggling and spluttering. It
> must have taken a full ten or fifteen seconds after she was out of the
> water before the inward rush of air gave way to the most alarming and
> sustained bellow of indignation and outrage. Happily that subsided
> into muffled sobs, and before long she re-entered the water in a more
> controlled fashion, and the incident was, as far as I know, forgotten.
>
I have had a very similar experience, Brian, when one of my sons was about
two. We stopped at the picnic area where the Tauherenikau River comes out of
the hills, to give our children a splash in the shallows on a hot day. He
was playing at the edge, with quite a few other children, as we watched.
Suddenly he overbalanced, fell into the current, and was swept towards a
deep hole, with only his hair showing. My wife and I both dashed fully
clothed into the water. I can't swim, but I went out until I was up to my
shoulders, and it was still getting deeper. Fortunately my wife swims well,
and she reached him, felt his hair, and pulled him to me. It was all over so
quickly that he hadn't even taken a mouthful of water, and was more
frightened by our reaction than by the actual experience.
The interesting thing is that there were several other families picnicking
on the river bank, and none of them had noticed a thing. They told us that
they had wondered why two seemingly sane adults had suddenly jumped to their
feet and rushed fully clothed into a river. It wasn't that hot! It would
seem that it is very unwise to rely on bystanders to look after your
children around water, as others don't know their capabilities, so may not
realise they are in trouble, and of course may not be paying attention at
the critical moment. My son made no commotion at all, just floated down
almost completely submerged.
Jim Purdie
Brian Dooley
On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 21:48:43 +1300, Brian Harmer
<brian....@paradise.net.nz> wrote:
snip---
>(I wonder how many metropolitan dailies in the world spend time on the
>death of a pet, no matter how deplorable? - BH)
It shows we have our priorities right.
--