Opening this week with a positive pat on the back for PS News readers for accomplishing an admirable achievement just by cheerfully reading their online news service about the PS.
Galloping into the 10th month of this COVID-crippled year, the enlightened, educated and erudite readers of our popular PS periodical have created for ourselves a record readership level of which each of us ought to be proud.
Month after month, week after week, Mr Google has found PS News readers to be perusing their publication over and above the magic milestone of 100,000, creating an astronomical achievement every member of the PS News family is entitled to take a share of with great pride.
As we’ve said at PS News for many years, if you keep reading, we’ll keep writing!
If only someone would tell COVID!
Minding our Gs and Ts
Proof again this week – as if we ever needed one – that even the perfectionists who publish PS News can be guilty of gaffes, with the emails flooding in when a recalcitrant GST hijacked the place of GPS in a federal story about Australia’s northern waters suffering from abandoned fishing nets and other forsaken equipment.
While the story’s headline was intended to report ‘Agencies using GPS to track sea ghosts’ it went to print as ‘Agencies using GST to track sea ghosts’ prompting good-hearted readers to dive into the sea of internet and do some fishing of their own.
‘“Damn auto-correct’ you will say” accused J from Canberra. “Pretty sure that is meant to be GPS, not GST”.
“Huge difference” pointed out Veronica C from Industry, Science, Environment and Resources while Christy F offered “using GPS to track’ might be more appropriate.”
Thanks to all the sharp-eyes who put us on the right track, even if it was under water! Please accept a personal Mea Culpa for your trouble.
The worn word ward!
And now a word of wisdom from our (almost) resident wise-woman Philomena S of the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
Ever wary and watchful, Philomena has had her ear to the ground to come across the annual competition of dictionary doctoring that wrangles words to within one letter of their meaning so that they produce new words, often more meaningful than the first.
For this week, Philomena offers the following:
Cashtration: The act of buying a house which renders the subject financially impotent;
Intaxication: The excitement of receiving a tax refund which only lasts until we realise it was our money to start with; and
Bozone: The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from coming out – i.e. The Bozone layer.
Thanks again Philomena.
We really ‘mena’ it!
Travelling at home
To the riches of Rama again this week where another graciously grand giveaway is up for grabs by any reader ready to take Rama on in her queenly and quirky quiz questions leading to riches and resources ready to be won by PS News’s weekly wise and watchful winners.
This week the prize-winning pillage is for three free copies of the Lonely Planet’s Armchair Explorer, the popular passport for lucky readers to explore the world from the comfort of their cosy home.
To be a winner all we had to do was remind Rama how many countries there were in the world that the Armchair Explorer identified as having the best music, film and literature.
The answer was ‘more than 120’ and the first three correct contesters to escape from the PS News Barrel of Booty were Karlena L from the Australian Taxation Office, Lechelle W of the federal Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and Sue S from the Western Australian Department of Justice.
Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone for taking the chance. The winners’ prizes will be on their way very soon.
For another chance to relieve Rama of her plentiful prizes, simply visit her review of the DVD The Birthday Cake at this PS News link and answer her quiz question or stop by at her other review of the Book Red Reflection at this link and answer her quiz question there.
Very good luck to everyone who does!
Until next week…..
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