Stop Making Cents

8:15 Dec 5, 2006 25

NCEA English
2007 Summer Class

Compare the following two pieces of writing, then answer the following questions.

Media release
Newmarket Business Association
Monday, 4 December 2006
Unbelievable that Reserve Bank runs out of new coins in lead up to Christmas.
Just five weeks after phasing out the old coins, the Reserve Bank has now written to the country's retail banks warning them there will be a shortage of the new 20 cent pieces in the lead up to the busy Christmas period, with some unimpressed retailers already unable to source 20 cent pieces," Auckland's leading retail district, Newmarket, has revealed today.
"When we complained that the three-month transition period wasn't long enough, the Reserve Bank told us that they'd done a lot of work and that everything was going to be just fine. We'll here we are just five weeks into the new coins and only days away from the Christmas rush, and the country's running out of its own currency. This is all looking very Fijian and doesn't inspire much confidence in our central bank," said Cameron Brewer, head of the Newmarket Business Association.
"The unfortunate thing is that while banks and retailers are set to run out of 20 cent pieces, tens of millions of the old 20 cent pieces sit idle because they are no longer legal tender.
"Retailers have got enough on their mind in December without worrying about running out of change. Given the many years of work leading up to this new coin transition, such a staggering miscalculation by the Reserve Bank should never have happened," said Mr Brewer.
ENDS

Radio New Zealand News
Reserve Bank Orders Extra 20c Pieces
Posted at 8:22pm on 04 Dec 2006

The Reserve Bank has ordered an extra 15 million 20 cent pieces, because of unusually high demand for the coins.
An extra 4.75 million 20 cent coins have been put into circulation over the past week.
The bank's currency manager, Brian Lang, says a further 10 million of the coins will arrive in the country over the next few days.
He says the bank has issued 50 million 20 cent coins, and 53 million 10 cent coins, but there has been a much greater demand for 20 cent coins than it expected.
Mr Lang says there will be enough new coins in circulation to meet demand over the Christmas period.

Questions

1. Write the expression “way over the top” in txt language.

2. Do you use cash to buy any of the following?

     a. movie ticket
     b. CD
     c. DVD
     d. Big Mac
     e. chewing gum

3. What is meant by the expression “This is all looking very Fijian”

4. Would you rather spend this weekend in Suva or Newmarket?

5. Do you have confidence in our central bank?

6. Do you have confidence in the Newmarket Business Association?

7. In terms of dealing with the news media, what is a “staggering miscalculation”?

8. If you were eligible, who would you vote for in next year’s Auckland mayoralty contest?

     a. Cameron Brewer
     b. John Banks
     c. Frank Bainimarama

9. Who coined the expression “say whatever you like, as long as you spell my name right”? Discuss, with reference either to postmodern electronic media theory, or your five favourite YouTube clips of 2006.

25 responses to this post

dc_red, 09:09 Dec 5, 2006

4. Would you rather spend this weekend in Suva or Newmarket?
I recently visited Newmarket for the first time in many years and was struck by how ... well, boring, shabby and a bit crap it was really. On the other hand, I have never been to Suva and I hear it is warm there. Plus it wouldn't be a good look for a soldier to use his automatic weapon on a skinny sunburnt tourist. So I go with Suva.

Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report
DJ_Krysus, 09:27 Dec 5, 2006

1. Write the expression "way over the top" in txt language.
OMG! TTLY OTT! LOL@Cmrn Brwr! ;-P THS CST 20C BT I CNT PY 4 IT CZ THRS NO $

Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2 posts Report
Andrew Feltoe, 09:29 Dec 5, 2006

Math was never my strong point, but doesn't 2x10c=20c? Perhaps there's also gonna be a shortage of 10c pieces to match. Just thinking about it for all of, oh, a second, I'd blame it on the hidden left-wing communist government agenda.

Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 15 posts Report
David Slack, 09:52 Dec 5, 2006

10 credits to DJ_Krysus, Achvd wth xcllnce

Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report
Kent Parker, 09:55 Dec 5, 2006

1. way over the top" in txt is
WOTT!!!
exclamation marks compulsory, except in Southland where people are less flambuoyant.

Hawkes Bay • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report
Jeremy Andrew, 09:59 Dec 5, 2006

except in Southland where people are less flambuoyant.
They don't float as well when on fire?
I thought txtrs were sposed to lose vowels, not gain 'em.

Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report
David Slack, 09:59 Dec 5, 2006

10 credits to Kent as well, whose inadvertent "u" in flamboyant suggests a useful new word: if you can cheerfully ignore a stream of bitter and twisted postings, are you flamebuoyant?

Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report
andrew llewellyn, 10:05 Dec 5, 2006

Where TF is Newmarket anyway?
I hate those 10 & 20 cent coins, can't we just get rid of them & keep 50c as our smallest denomination?
Also, flambuoyant is brilliant.

Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report
Andrew Feltoe, 10:07 Dec 5, 2006

It must be in Auckland. That's where most of the news no-one cares about comes from.

Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 15 posts Report
WH, 10:14 Dec 5, 2006

3. What is meant by the expression "This is all looking very Fijian"
I heard something similar to this on a Magnus Benrow ad recently.
I hate Magnus Benrow ads. I'll tell you what else looks very Fijian - John Key. You might think this is absurd but in reality the analogy is apt.

Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report
andrew llewellyn, 10:30 Dec 5, 2006

I'll tell you what else looks very Fijian - John Key
Yep, it seems absurd, surreal even - but because I give everyone the benefit of the doubt, would love to read the clarification.

Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report
Slarty Bartfast, 10:39 Dec 5, 2006

Mr Brewer seems to have embraced the spirit of the NCEA discussion in his latest tanty over pennies - that is, remorsely ignoring fact in order to push his own myopic understanding and prejudice.
In particular I heard him say on RNZ that the new coins are giving vending machine operators major headaches and that he doesn't know a single person who likes the new coins. I can understand he doesn't know anyone in favour of the coins - if while minding his till he were to accidentally meet someone with a different ideological position to his, they wouldn't dare challenge his viewpoint even if they could get a word in. Nevertheless I have heard a great deal of approval for the new coins, mostly along the lines that they are lighter and easier to carry, and more 'modern' in the sense that they are aligning with the format of other first world currency formats.
But how does he explain his assertion that vending machine operators are having major problems and yet NOT A SINGLE ONE has suggested such to the Reserve Bank yet many have expressed approval and consider them an improvement?
Still, I guess if I had to spend my days in Newmarket I'd get a little obsessed with the trivial myself.

Since Nov 2006 • 3 posts Report
WH, 11:06 Dec 5, 2006

I'm glad you asked Andrew. Firstly, there are the compelling physical similarities. Look at these images of Key and Commodore Frank Bainimarama:
http://media.apn.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/8DonBrash.jpg
http://media.apn.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/ACFFFAYvaG3r.JPG
I have decided not to pursue the fact that they both came to power as a result of a leadership coup, so this is all I have at the moment. Still, I think the evidence is pretty strong.

Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report
Kyle Matthews, 11:17 Dec 5, 2006

I, for one, have never seen both of them in the same place at the same time.
I have four twenty cent pieces in my wallet that I'm happy to post up to newmarket if they'll send me down a stamped self-address envelope, and two fifty cent pieces. C'mon guys, let's help Mr Brewer out.
I'm flambouyant like that.

Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report
andrew llewellyn, 11:27 Dec 5, 2006

Look at these images of Key and Commodore Frank Bainimarama:
Spooky!
But even more worrying, that guy to the left of Key, I can't remember his name, but he looks just like Davros, creator of the Daleks

Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report
Heather Gaye, 13:13 Dec 5, 2006

3. What is meant by the expression "This is all looking very Fijian"
Ah, perhaps it's not observation, but intent. Could be Cameron's contriving a currency coup. Commercial crisis! Carnage over Christmas cash!

Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report
Robyn Gallagher, 13:18 Dec 5, 2006

3. What is meant by the expression “This is all looking very Fijian”
If he knew what he was talking about, he would have said it was looking very Argentinean.
A BBC correspondent recently reported of a serious shortage of coins in Argentina which is affecting everyone from ordinary working people who can't pay their bus fare, to beggars who aren't getting people's loose change any more.
And, oh look - all of Newmarket's coin problems have suddenly disappeared. Now they can go back to complaining about the "third world" street furniture.

Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report
Lambert, 15:13 Dec 5, 2006

Perhaps Newmarket retailers could round all of their prices up to the nearest hundred dollars. Would anyone notice?
Incidentially, WTF is Magnus Benrow?? I've been hearing the radio ads for years but haven't the foggiest what products and/or services they provide. Might be time for them to rebrand. "Magnus Benrow - if it's products and/or services you want, we may/may not have the ones you need."

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 27 posts Report
Lambert, 15:45 Dec 5, 2006

Incidentally....

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 27 posts Report
Mark Thomas, 16:13 Dec 5, 2006

i'm probably just being naive here, but what exactly does the newmarket business association achieve by attacking the reserve bank?

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 317 posts Report
Jeremy Andrew, 16:49 Dec 5, 2006

The same thing they acheived by moaning that Sylvia Park got their name on the motorway signs, but Newmarket doesn't.
"any publicity is good publicity as long as they spell your name right"

Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report
Robyn Gallagher, 17:31 Dec 5, 2006

Look at these images of Key and Commodore Frank Bainimarama:
http://media.apn.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/8DonBrash.jpg
http://media.apn.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/ACFFFAYvaG3r.JPG
In both those photos, there is a mysteriously looking man lurking in the background, looking directly at the camera.

Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report
Russell Brown, 17:57 Dec 5, 2006

i'm probably just being naive here, but what exactly does the newmarket business association achieve by attacking the reserve bank
You're clearly unfamiliar with the press release oeuvre of Cameron Brewer. I think he's even addressed the US government before, from his lofty post. He's a bit of a dick.

Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report
Robyn Gallagher, 19:01 Dec 5, 2006

I found this entertaining account of an exchange between Brewer and the NZ Herald's Sideswipe, thoughtfully archived by DPF:
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2006/08/sidewipe_vs_brewer.html

Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report
john shears, 20:25 Dec 5, 2006

Everyone knows that Newmarket is where the brewer ( at least if you are a JAFA ie Just another Fantastic Aucklander you do) but I doubt that there are very many who give a tinkers cuss about the Cameron variety . WAT txt4 What A Tosser.

North Shore City • Since Nov 2006 • 21 posts Report