Hot news from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade this week that our people have been knocking on the door of the European Union (EU) to see if they’d like to join us in a new Free Trade agreement.
Keen to see them knock up some business, the national Minister for Trade painted a bright picture of the EU – and its door – saying an agreement with it would: “open the door to a market of half a billion consumers and a GDP of US$17.3 trillion – making it one of Australia’s biggest trade agreements.”
Heady stuff indeed and indeed enough to play with the head of seasoned international news editor Graham C of Canberra who greeted the value of the deal with his own multi-trillion-dollar comment, pointing out the DFAT announcement came from an Australian Agency, writing for an Australian audience but it reported the EU market’s potential value in US dollars.
A frustrated “unbelievable” was Graham’s final word on the subject.
On the bright side however, the PS News’s story that went to print Australianised the market’s value by estimating it at $23.3 trillion true-blue Aussie bucks.
Acronym clipped
Credit: BrianAJackson
Staying with the inspired thoughts of readers now, Brad H of the Department of Defence was inspired by last week’s exposè of the not-quite kosher acronym for Oxytocin which found it necessary to promote a second place letter to first place to complete its acronymical magic.
“Your article reminds me of the Defence APS Values (culture) tenants,” Brad wrote in, which corral the virtues of ” Professionalism, Loyalty, Integrity, Courage, Innovation and Teamwork” delivering the acronym ‘PLICIT’.
According to Brad, the letters that make up PLICIT could be remodeled to fit other pressures on the PS.
“Interestingly these can be transcribed to better reflect the contemporary APS environment of cost cutting, belt tightening and reduced staff numbers,” Brad explained.
“CLIPIT!!!!”
Very clever, Brad. Even moreso as PLICIT becomes an Ex-PLICIT!
Fabulous book prize on its way for your trouble.
Hospital of pain
Readers with memories who can recall last February may also recall the irreverent fun and games PS-sssst! and its readers had juggling the possibilities and improbabilities of conjuring up a manageable name for Canberra’s newest addition to its health service, the University of Canberra Hospital: Specialist Centre for Rehabilitation, Recovery and Research or the unpronounceable UCHSCRRR for short.
While PS-sssst!’s community-minded competition uncovered such inspired suggestions as rebadging the facility as the Canberra Hospital Offering Learning Education and Rehabilitation Assistance’ (CHOLERA); the Canberra University Recovery Experimentation Surgery (CURES); and the ‘Centre for Rehabilitation, Recovery and Research University of Canberra Hospital’ (CRRRUCH), the official abbreviators have now spoken and settled on ‘UCH’ as the official way forward.
But for acronym lovers the game is not completely lost.
One of the brilliant entries in PS-sssst!’s quest was only one letter away when Megan W of the Federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources suggested it be known as ‘Our University of Canberra Hospital’ the abbreviation of which is the very hospitally ‘OUCH’.
Sheer genius, Megan.
PS-ssst! would not be surprised if the power of the people don’t pick up the obvious link and you get your wish!
Winning made simple
To PS-sssst!’s weekly giveaway now, courtesy of PS News’s book reviewer extraordinaire, Rama Gaind who has put up two copies of the highly useful guide to investing: Property Finance Made Simple by Andrew Crossley for the taking.
To join Rama’s ranks of winners, entrants needed only name the author of the book (Andrew Crossley – Doh!) and then emerge from the rich PS News Barrel of Booty as one of the first two
And so it was that the clever readers who identified Mr Crossley as the answer were Lukas K from the Australian Financial Security Authority and Scott S from the Federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
Heartiest congratulations to Lukas and Scott and an equally hearty thanks to everyone who entered as well. The prize books will be on their way soon.
If you’d like to be winners like Lukas and Scott simply follow this link which will take you to this week’s giveaway where you can give it a go!
Good luck!
Till next week….
