Welcome news this month that a special program to encourage more female school students to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics attracted a large crowd of young women at a special event held in Canberra.
Hailing the event as a success, the ACT Minister for Education and Women greeted it with enthusiastic enthusiasm saying events such as that played an important role in inspiring young women to consider learning and working in the non-traditional (for them!) STEM fields.
“150 female secondary students today attended the inaugural Women in Engineering and Computer Sciences (WINGS) event…” the Minister announced enthusiastically, prompting a less-than enthusiastic response from the pedants that populate the PS-sssst! press gallery.
How, the pedantic PS-sssst! pedants wonder, can ‘Women in Engineering and Computer Sciences’ produce the abbreviation WINGS?
WECS, yes. Or even WICES at a stretch if the title became ‘Women In Computers and Engineering Science’, but not WINGS!
Of course, it is possible that all the computing, engineering, mathematics etc so eagerly sought by the young students could lead them into careers in cryptography and codification in which case PS-sssst! will admit to being well out of its cipher!
Ahead of its time
Many thanks to the Federal Department of Home Affairs last week for posting a notice on its website on the occasion of the website going off the air.
“The Department of Home Affairs website is currently unavailable,” the Department considerately advised on 21 April.
Explaining in more details that its inoperativeness was “for scheduled system maintenance from Saturday 27 April to Sunday 28 April 2019 AEDT (GMT+11).”
Obviously Home Affairs is a Department no-one can accuse of not being ahead of its times!
Blu-Ray giveaway gold
To Rama Gaind’s regular giveaway now in which lucky readers had the chance to win a triple-film Blu-Ray DVD compilation of the popular police chief Jesse Stone collection starring Tom Selleck just by being able to name the city in which Chief Stone leads his police force
The answer of course is Paradise, Massachusetts, and the first three correct entrants to emerge triumphant from the PS News Barrel of Booty were Ramawati C from the NSW Department of Finance, Services and Innovation, Greg C from the Australian Taxation Office in Adelaide and David K from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone who took part. The winning collections will be on the way to their new owners shortly.
In the meantime, for another chance to rate as one of Rama’s winners, simply follow this link to this week’s giveaway and give it a go.
Good luck!
And while she has the floor…
We can’t let Rama go without congratulating her on the timeliness of her highly popular book reviews, focusing on war-related books as her tribute to Australia’s Anzac Day commemorations.
Pointing out that she has reviewed Missing in Action, Australians on the Western Front 1918, volume two and Bomber Boys in the lead-up to the sacred day, Rama has plenty to say about our most significant national day of mourning.
“The spirit of Anzac provides a powerful legacy of courage, sacrifice and mateship,” Rama entoned sincerely.
“Anzac troops demonstrated bravery, ingenuity, practicality and tenacity – attributes that now form part of the national psyche for both Australians and our neighbours.
“While the Gallipoli campaign was not a military success it left behind a powerful legacy,” she declared.
“25 April is the day to remember the sacrifice made by those who died during military operations.
“This is not a day that marks military triumph, rather a day that is central to Australia’s national pride and identity.”
Well said Rama.
Let’s hope we never have cause to add any other commemorative days to our national wartime reflections!
Till next time……
