Reporter’s Diary

Press, 31 January 1979, Page 2

Reporter’s Diary

Round trip The City Council’s new branch library in Papanui is getting visitors and borrowers from an unusual source. Old people from Cashmere — in the Heathcote County, which has no library — have been using the northern Christchurch branch. Even though it is across the other side of town, they find it convenient because the Transport Board buses go directly from Cashmere to Papanui and back. The pensioner book borrowers have then been making a day out of it. Tried but not true A SIGN at one of the Christchurch vehicle-tes-ting stations in Christchurch reminds drivers that warrant-of-fitness tests are made for their own protection. But one motorist has his doubts. Six months ago, his 1967 model car sailed through the inspection, only to have its back wheel fall off a few days later — fortunately when he was not travelling very fast. The car failed its latest test because, among other minor faults, the left-hand door catch was not working properly. The tester seemed to be on top of things this time, because

two days later a door handle fell off. It was, however, the right-hand door handle. Happy drink A WEEK ago “The Press” published a story about the return of Coca Cola — that renowned symbol of capitalism and the consumer society — to China after an absence of 30 years. Since then, one or two interesting facts have come to light. Instead of the familiar “Coke” trademark, which appears in numerous countries the bottles bear the Chinese characters. “Ke Kou Ke Lo,” which sound roughly like Coca-Cola and translate as “Tastes good, tastes happy.” Confused outlook AMERICANS have the same problems with unreliable weather forecasts that we sometimes have in New Zealand. American weather forecasters- take on considerable prominence in the community and many of them are celebrities. One forecaster, called “Doctor Bob,” arrived on the big-time weather scene two years ago. He was hired by a New York station, WCBS, an all-news, around-the-clock station, as resident weather expert. His easy,

mellow style and highly accurate forecasting won such renown that, last July, he was engaged by the “New York Times” to handle its weather column. In commending him to readers, the “Times” emphasised not only his degree in meteorology but also his Ph.D. in geophysics. A fortnight ago. Doctor Bob was unmasked: he has no university degree at all. He was summarily dismissed by both the “New York Times” and WCBS. But the tale has disturbing implications for the professional weather forecasters — Doctor Bob’s weather predictions were more accurate than theirs. Mini-Bible

“READER’S DIGEST” magazine has announced its intention of producing a potted version of the Bible. The “Digest” has long found it profitable to put out condensed editions of best sellers for those who like to. read, but not too much, and the Bible is the best-selling book of all time; and so the “Digest” might be on to a winner. “I know it’s an extraordinary thing to think about but we have condensed the ‘Odyssey’ and the Russian novelists, and there is no reason to think we cannot do the Bible,” said one of the Digest’s editors recently. “Doing” the Bible apparently means cutting about 40 per cent of the Revised Standard Version s 750,000

words, mainly by eliminating repetitions and long family histories about who begat whom.

Awkward age A CHRISTCHURCH lad, aged seven, could have been excused for being somewhat perplexed about his age during his holiday in Queenstown. One day, he was taken on the gondola by his father who, in order to get him on free, stretched the truth and told the ticket-seller that his son was six. The next day, his mother took him horse trekking. She, too, stretched the truth, because eight was the youngest age at which children were allowed to ride the horses. Shown up ANOTHER visitor to Queenstown, however, was not quite so fortunate when taking his children on the gondola. Like the father of the seven yearold, he tried to get them all on free by pretending they were six or under. He told the ticket-seller this, but was immediately greeted by a chorus of protest. “I’m seven,” one child piped indignantly. “And I’m eight,” said another. It turned out that only one was six. The embarrassed parent bundled them all into a gondola, whence their voices could be heard, still protesting, all the way up the mountain, —Felicity Price