Credit: D-Keine
Winding down to a can’t-get-here-early-enough Christmas break, what better way to mark the last PS-sssst! of 2018 than with a modicum of midsummer merriment, courtesy of the ever phunny Philomena S of the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services.
“Why does Santa go down the chimney on Christmas eve?” the phacetious Philomena poses playfully.
“Because it soots him,” is her dusty reply.
Sorry situation
Back in the real world, an interesting feature article in PS News this week extols the pros and cons of women saying ‘sorry’ too often and raises the equally interesting semantic side-issue of just what the plural of ‘sorry’ is.
According to the article’s authoress, the key to gender equality is for women to be as boorishly un-sorry as men and to instead use their rare moments of sorriness as a weapon of rebellion.
Setting out a collection of examples in which she says ‘sorry’ but shouldn’t, the articler offers the following: “I also see some of these sorrys as my way of raging against the system”.
As usual for the pedantic PS-sssst!, the serious significance of the writer’s controversial commentary is overlooked in favour of the far more pompous pursuit of the trivial and trite.
“Sorrys?” we ask!
“Why not sorries?”
Good question we declare to ourselves.
Fabulous book prizes on offer for true or pretend answers, just send thoughts to [email protected] to reach the judges before 21 January 2019 and you could be among 2019’s new year winners, and there’s nothing ‘sorry’ about that!
For sorry fans however, the full ‘sorry’ feature article can be accessed at this PS News link.
Gap no more
To a fascinating flash from PS News’s Wide World of international news now which reports that one of Australia’s nearest neighbours has not only closed the gender gap between male and female leaders in its Public Service but has completely reversed it to put women first.
According to the newswire, of the 33 Government Department Heads in New Zealand, 17 are women and just 16 are men, a female majority of 52 % to 48%.
The report also points out that as recently as June this year (six months ago) the percentage was just 44% women (14 appointments) with men 19.
Looks like the future has arrived!
To take in the full story, follow this PS News link.
Mars barred
Special mention this week of Michael S from NSW Justice Health, taken in by last week’s Talking Point in PS News exploring the likelihood of humans living on Mars, and science educator Bill Nye’s enthusiasm for the project.
“I am reminded of one of the laws of a famous science fiction writer and scientist, Arthur C Clarke formulated after sifting through scientific history,” Michael wrote in thoughtfully.
“If a famous scientist says something is impossible, he is probably wrong!”
And then as a cleverly parting gesture: “The warning is Nye”.
Great play on words Michael. Well-deserving of a fabulous book prize which will be dispatched on its way post-haste.
Time’s up!
And finally, sad news this week that all good things come to an end and that includes PS News for 2018.
Today’s edition is the last for the year but we won’t be going quietly, preferring instead to take this opportunity to thank every one of our readers (in particular, you!) for supporting us over the past 12 months in our efforts to keep you informed, advised or simply entertained.
It’s no secret that PS News doesn’t just write, edit, and circulate itself to its many subscribers but relies on a team of journalists, editors, designers, administrators, contributors and others to do it for it, all of whom have spent the last year publishing PS News as creatively and professionally as they can.
So it is that Brad, Christine, Frank, Graham, Ian, Jan, John C, John R, Karl, Lisa, Lyn, Luana, Natasha, Rama, Robert, Ted and Vic wish each and every one of our readers a happy, relaxing and well-earned Christmas break and a rejuvenated, revitalised and regenerated return in 2019 for the New Year.
For your diary, PS News will be back bigger and better in the week commencing 21 January.
Until then……
