It’s not often the right person turns up with the right skills and the right experience to solve a major national crisis at the right time but former pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force and volunteer firefighter Bob Francis of Queensland has turned up with what appears to be the right idea to beat deadly bushfires all around Australia before our summers get so there’s nothing of us left.
“I know a lot about aerial attack on bush fires,” Bob understated in a recent letter.
“I am trying to get support (for) the Australian Government to purchase a squadron of about 12 CL415 fire bombers that would be owned and operated by the RAAF.”
He said each aircraft could carry six tonnes of water, reloading from dams, rivers and the ocean, or even landing at airstrips and filling up from tankers.
“Attacking a fire with 12 aircraft astern could lay an almost continual 6-tonne drop of water along any fire front, anywhere,” he said.
“The aircraft could also be used for air sea rescue, training, transport and the military.”
Bob said he’d like somebody to tell him why the idea wouldn’t work.
So would PS-sssst!.but we don’t expect to get any.
Let’s just remember where we heard the idea first!
Multiple counting
Blowing the whistle now on the latest etymological aggravation gathering usage in our miss and mass media – the fashionable use of the fashionable word ‘multiple’ to mean a lot.
It’s brst of popularity has it taking the place of other words that also mean a lot – numerous, many, plentiful, various etc – so it’s fair to ask if it actually means the same thing.
For the pure pedantry of it all, PS-sssst! visited Dr Oxford to see if ‘multiple’ is the same as ‘numerous’ for example, and has found it doesn’t quite make it.
According to Dr O, ‘multiple’ describes lots of one thing that makes up another.
Multiple stars can make up a galaxy; multiple parts can make a car; and multiple wrong usages can drive a pedantic writer to frustration.
Other words also meaning ‘many’ offer greater flexibility to the writer inasmuch as their subjects don’t all have to be related.
Where ‘multiple’ items have to have something in common to be counted, items that are just ‘numerous’ need only be ‘abundant, copious or comprising many units.’
To be ‘many’ they need only be a ‘great indefinite number’ and for ‘copious’ the qualification is ‘in abundance, plentiful.’
So, if there’s a multiple of lessons to be learned from this example of pedantry, it is that we will all learn the same lesson – otherwise it’s not multiple!
Women’s business
Credit:dedMazay
With the week kicking off with the annual phenomenon we commemorate as International Women’s Day, one would expect nothing from the mostly-male (one bloke) PS-sssst! than the most respectful and encouraging recognition as a heartfelt tribute to the column’s many dedicated and cherished lady readers.
It is with this in mind that PS-sssst! scoured the Earth to find the most purposeful, relevant and substantial word of advice to share with our readers and with great pleasure passes it on.
“Women will never be equal to men,” this wise word of wisdom begins, “until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they’re sexy.”
Quite!
Giveaway dragway
Taking the long road to Rama Gaind’s regular giveaway now, unveiling her far-sighted 20/20 policy for 2020, in which all her giveaways will be on the table taking entries for two weeks, to make sure everyone gets the chance to join in.
“This means that from March onwards we will have only two prizes a month with entrants eligible to enter their entries anytime on a fortnight basis,” the envious alliterative Rama wrote.
That means this fortnight’s giveaways are still open which also means it’s not too late to try our hands and stretch our luck with a view to joining Rama’s Army of Giveaway GIs.
This week’s fortnightly foray can be accessed at this PS News link.
And finally
For a final final word today on the challenge facing the Australian Football League (AFL) as it wrestles with public calls to rename its men’s AFL competition AFLM in recognition of the four-letter name it has imposed on its women’s contest – AFLW – Ian M of the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning has added another call, kicking goals for at least two more of the League’s abbreviation-challenged underleagues.
Just as PS-sssst! enlightened the debate last week by suggesting the AFL adopt new abbreviations for both codes – AMFL for its men’s competition and AWFL for the women – Ian has stepped up to the plate to take a high mark for others.
“Let us not forget the older and younger generations who enjoy playing footy,” the wise Ian enwisened the debate with.
“What about the RAFL for (Retired Australians Football League) and JAFL for (Juniors Australian Football League)? he proposed.
What indeed? Ian.
It’s only a matter of time!
Of course while we wait, Ian will take possession of a Popular PS-sssst! Prize Pack as a token of our gratitude for taking the trouble to share his cleverness with us.
Till next week…..
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