Credit: Iryna Omelchak
There’s a lot to be said about apostrophes with most of it unprintable, but a sharply wise message from Janice G of Queensland’s Office of Industrial Relations almost says it all.
Referring to last week’s PS-sssst! in which a winner was awarded a wise prize for noting that the apostrophe in the logo for the ‘Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge’ was out of place, appearing as it did after ‘Premier’ when it would be more correctly to have it before the ‘S’.
“I noted you made comment regarding the incorrect use of the apostrophe in the Premiers’ Reading Challenge,” the notable Janice offered.
“I agreed that the placement was incorrect until I looked on the website, and the apostrophe is, indeed, in the correct position.”
“?????” mumbled PS-sssst!
Janice then produced a document from the Victorian Government entitled “The Premiers’ Reading Challenge is supported by all living premiers, past and present,” which then went on the dismantle PS-sssst’s trust of the ambiguous apostrophe.
“You may be wondering about the use of the apostrophe in the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge,” the document asked itself.
“In 2011, soon after Ted Baillieu was elected Premier, he invited all living former premiers of Victoria to lend their support to the Premiers’ Reading Challenge.
“From that day on, the Challenge has been led by the Premier of the day and supported by all premiers, past and present. The apostrophe was moved to reflect this change.”
Brilliant work, Janice. One could describe it as apostrophic!
Sadly the hopelessly humbled PS-sssst! will never be able to trust an ambiguous apostrophe again!
And thats’ the truth!
Police will be police
Staying in Queensland now where the Queensland Police Service might be in line to learn a little lesson when composing a media release to share their very important jobs keeping the community safe and sound.
Reporting recently on a crackdown against hoodlums on the roads, the QPS shared its success with “more than 50 vehicles impounded and 2,000 fines issued”, prompting the Minister for Police to congratulate them on their work.
“Hoons driving dangerously in defective vehicles are disasters waiting to happen,” the on-side Minister declared.
“We do not want hoons tearing up our roadways like racetracks,” he said.
But that was where the good Minister’s excitement led him into the world of double entendre.
“The idiotic behaviour police have seen throughout this operation is downright disturbing ….” the Minister declared, leaving it to the reader to decide who behaved and how.
Just garden’ around
More good news from Queensland now with the State-owned electricity companies offering to help local communities stay connected and safe, improve their health and wellbeing, build resilience and have a hope for the future.
In its latest statement, the Ergon-Energex Community Fund reported it had helped one community build a Mini Farm Project to grow food for families in need and in doing so set career paths for local young people.
In full keeping with PS-sssst?’s painfully clever creativity, the statement the Fund chose to headline was guaranteed to catch the media’s attention.
It led its story with the headline: “Lettuce help your community group”, ensuring it would be noticed when it hit the media’s floors.
Hearty congratulations to the headline genius who came out with that.
As it turned out, the creative headline caught notice at PS-sssst! too.
It turned out we couldn’t ‘leaf’ it alone either!
Ugh!
Managing to win a book
Opening up Rama Gaind’s weekly golden giveaway now in which two lucky readers stand to win copies of the book showing them how to Be a Better Manager in 5 Minutes a Day by Dominic McLoughlin, just be being a better competition players.
To win the copies of the book, all we needed to do was answer Rama’s quizzically quizzy quiz question correctly and be first out of the PS News Barrel of Booty and the book could be yours!
This week, Rama asked readers to identify the necessity to achieve outstanding performance, the answer to which was that it “needs genuine trust, and we built this on the foundation of our own character. So, it is up to us”.
The two wise winners muscling their correct way out of the PS News Barrel of Booty this week were from Natasha P from Legal Aid Queensland and Teresa B, also from Queensland at the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training.
Warm congratulations to Natasha and Teresa and a big thanks to everyone who took part in the pleasantry. The prizes will be on the way to their new owners shortly.
For another lively chance to feature in Rama’s good luck giveaway game, simply visit one of her latest reviews of the Book Money Magnet at this PS News link and answer her quizzy question and/or try her other review of the DVD The Enforcer at this PS News link for another chance.
It’s free and it’s fun and you have to be in it to win it.
Good luck!
Search and find
And finally, hands up those of us who have tried the PS News search system which magically delivers links to past stories, names, departments and other long lost words even the most interested reader might like to revisit.
Always open and always available, the PS News search system is one of the most powerful and impressive pieces of equipment waiting to be put to work by any PS News supporter or reader keen to search or research the full story of almost anything published in PS News over its many years.
Just another example of PS News making our readers’ lives easier.
Such a pity journalists don’t qualify for easy lives!!!
Until next week……
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