East Auckland Edition

Vol. 277-3  April 15, 2024

Phone Rudy 021 421 346


Everybody's Talking

Weird calls: Most people call emergency services for very legitimate reasons. The Welsh Ambulance Service decided to publicise some of the weirder, less legitimate reasons that folks call the emergency number. Authorities want to spread the message that inappropriate calls may result in a delay in helping others with genuine emergencies. Some examples of silly calls include one caller who had eaten too much kebab and had an upset stomach. Another call for help was because they had gotten their ring stuck on their finger. Additionally, there was a fellow who got his hand stuck in his mailbox and a woman who had lost her dentures and wondered if she might have swallowed them.

Lots of Lego: Every kid loves Lego, right? Milo Kreek, who lives in the Czech Republic, is a verified holder of a Guinness World Record because he owns nearly 7,000 different Lego sets. The man got his first set when he was 5 years old and has been collecting them ever since. You can imagine that that many Lego sets would take up most of your home, which is why Kreek established his first Museum of Bricks in Prague. He followed that by opening more branches in his homeland; currently, the museum has sites in five cities. The collector says he purchased about 90% of the sets, and the rest were gifts.

Long overdue: Hearing about library books being returned decades after their due date is not uncommon. At a library branch in Laurel, Maryland (U.S.), a CD reappeared after 35 years; its original check-out date was in January 1989. The CD was British band Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. It was recently returned in excellent condition; the only sign of aging was that the CD booklet had yellowed. The library's tracking system had somehow missed cataloguing the item as missing, and the facility has not stocked CDs for five years because most people no longer have players for them. So this late return won't be going back on the shelf.

Bird whisperer: A scientist in Tokyo went the extra mile to study the language and behaviour of tit birds. For an entire year, the scientist would head into the Nagano Prefecture's woodlands wearing a bird mask over his head. His intention was to trick the creatures into letting him get closer. Bird behaviour specialists and ornithologists believe that some birds are so smart they can recognise human faces and can make warning cries to their fellow feathered friends. To his disappointment, the birds did eventually detect the scientist and started sounding the alarm.

Quotable Quotes

As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupry

The influence of a beautiful, helpful, hopeful character is contagious, and may revolutionise a whole town. ~ Eleanor H. Porter

Trivia

1. The Forbidden City is located in the capital of what country?

2. In 1975, Angola won independence from which country?

3. How many squares are usually on a bingo card?

4. Elisha G. Otis invented the escalator, passenger elevator, or home blender?

5. On Prime Video, what is the name of the documentary about Wrexham Footbal Club?

Your Weekly Horoscope

ariesAries (March 21 - April 20)
Have you put a plan into place yet, for the next year, perhaps to advance your values and life purpose? If not, this is the week when that train may be leaving the station. Lucky numbers: 1, 4, 5, 9, 10, 18.
libraLibra (Sept 24 - Oct 23)
Your natural diplomacy and tact may be height­ened at the end of the week. For a few days, this could provide you an opportunity to make headway on a relationship issue. Lucky numbers: 6, 8, 13, 16, 19, 27.
taurusTaurus (April 21- May 21)
Your birth month is a good time to set goals for the next year. This year, you may want to focus on an area that will expand you out of your comfort zone into new horizons. Lucky numbers: 3, 5, 9, 13, 27, 35.
scorpioScorpio (Oct 24- Nov 22)
Now is about six months after your birthday. Did you put a new plan into place at that time? Think about how well is it going and what might you need to do to adjust it? Lucky numbers: 1, 6, 11, 14, 22, 38.
geminiGemini (May 22- June 21)
Geminis can have dif­ficulty bringing their ideas to fruition. How might you use the next month's energy, which could encour­age you to create a more grounded reality? Lucky numbers: 5, 8, 18, 19, 28, 35.
sagittariusSagittarius (Nov23-Dec21)
You may feel stressed and lacking confidence in yourself at midweek What behaviourial change might you implement to mitigate this dynamic? Look inward and ask. Lucky numbers: 5, 7, 9, 17, 18, 19.
cancerCancer (June 22 - July 23)
Over the next month, you may want to create some­thing new and unique. Such endeavours are not limited to art. Give your­self some time and space to nurture this impulse. Lucky numbers: 2, 9, 16, 21, 36, 40.
capricornCapricorn (Dec 22- Jan 20)
Do you define success as recognition and material resources? Midweek may offer a chance to focus your ambition on some­thing with a higher pur­pose. Lucky numbers: 6, 7, 12, 15, 18, 29.
leoLeo (July 24 - Aug 23)
You may be tempted early in the week to toot your own horn. While this may be justified at present, you might be better off ask­ing someone else to sing your praises. Lucky numbers: 4, 11, 15, 17, 30, 35.
aquariusAquarius (Jan 21- Feb 19)
You may run into chal­lenges at week's end. Stop and ask if they reflect some underlying fear that you have. If so, you may need to tackle that fear to help resolve the situation. Lucky numbers: 10, 11, 13, 22, 27, 31.
virgoVirgo (Aug 24 - Sept 23)
The past month may have left you feeling confused and a bit muddled. This dynam­ic might continue for a few more weeks, but mid­week could offer a moment of brief respite. Lucky numbers: 7, 12, 22, 25, 31, 38.
piscesPisces (Feb 20 - March 20)
If you actively seek it, you may find an oppor­tunity this week to shine. Communicate to others what you are looking to accomplish and perhaps ask for help for your goal. Lucky numbers: 5, 11, 18, 25, 30, 40.
Lucky numbers for the week: Lucky numbers this week: This week's odds favour Cancer winners with the luckiest number being 9.

Did you know

Cool sleep: How about sleeping in a hotel made completely of ice? Hotel de Glace in Quebec City, Canada, is the place to go. From January to March, it welcomes overnight guests who may enjoy its Grand Hall, chapel, ice slide, and Ice Bar.

Egg phobia: Alfred Hitchcock, famous for his scary movies, was himself frightened of a common item eggs! He was quoted as saying he was worse than frightened of them, calling the yolk's yellow liquid revolting.

Good soup: Mexicans love to enjoy a big bowl of pozole. The main ingredient of this soup-like dish is hominy, large dried corn kernels. Other ingredients might be meat, seafood, herbs, lettuce, onion, avocados, lemon, and more.

Nice gesture: U.S. musician Billy Joel reserves the front row tickets to his shows. Before the show begins, his staff finds avid fans who could only afford back row seats. Some fans, to their amazement, get moved to the front row.

Less lean: In December 2001, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy reopened after experts spent over 10 years working to ensure it was safe for the public. At the time, the lean on the tower was considered dangerous.

On the lighter side

Ernie: My uncle can play the piano by ear. Bernie: That's nothing. My uncle can fiddle with his whiskers.

How did the magician cut the sea in half? He had a sea saw.

What happened to the duck who flew upside down? He quacked up.

Do you know how long cows should be milked? The same way as short cows.

You cant believe everything you hear - But you can repeat it.

Did you hear they arrested the Devil? They got him on possession

Answers

1. China 2. Portugal 3. 25 4. Elevator 5. Welcome to Wrexham