Impressive news from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage this week calling on members of the community to enter a survey collecting the number of times they had seen the State’s wildlife in the past two years.
While keen to gather data on brushtail possums, foxes, platypus, wombats, spotted-tailed quolls, kangaroos, deer and dingos, the Office made no secret that it’s prime interest was in koalas.
It said it would use data from this year’s survey to “identify sites for priority action under the NSW Koala Strategy”.
And just in case we missed it, the Office put its beloved koala to work in one of the most ambitious plays on words attempted by a public sector agency anywhere in 2019.
Announcing the survey was open, the Office challenged potential respondents to question their ability to do so with this clever enticement: “Are you koalified to report wildlife sightings?”
Brilliant! … on one hand, but almost ‘unbearable’ on the other.
Desperate and dateless
Credit: gyener
A plea now from PS News’s hardworking journalists slaving over the events and activities of the public sector for all of our edification and erudition, with a simple request they hope will lower their blood pressure and reduce their daily hair tearing since they don’t have much hair left to tear.
Their mini-grumble was sparked by a recent media release from an agency that won’t be named (but think Ombudsman somewhere) which opened in the following manner: “Today, …..” followed by a very professional and detailed description of an eminently worthwhile event well worth reporting in the hallowed pages of PS News. Which it was.
Unfortunately for the journos, the only thing missing from the statement was the date the “Today…. ” related to.
As the media statement itself was undated, the journalists – whose concentration spans are notoriously short at the best of times – were thrown into a panic, judging whether the story was current or a throwback to some time in the dark past which only today’s all-powerful and all-fallible computers can do.
They took the gamble and covered the story but have asked PS-sssst! to ask its PR readers to go on a date with time, and think of the thinning hairlines of media recipients when posting their best work to the world.
To Rama Gaind’s ever exciting weekly giveaway now in which yet more lucky PS News readers have the chance to win valuable prizes just be reading Rama’s Reviews and then joining the fun of her giveaway.
This week the prize is the most informative and entertaining book “Practice. Journalism, Essays and Criticism” by Guy Rundle which can be won simply by naming the well-known academic who showered praises on Mr Rundle, saying that no Australian journalist “knows as much, feels as deeply or thinks as hard as Guy Rundle”.
That academic was Robert Manne and the two readers whose correct entries escaped from the PS News Barrel of Booty first to take the books were Diana D from Tasmania’s Department of Communities and Meryl Z from the National Disability Insurance Agency.
Congratulations to Diana and Meryl and a big thankyou to all the readers who took the time to take the chance. The books will be on their way to their new owners very soon.
For another chance to win another giveaway and join up to Rama’s Army of Winning readers, simply follow this link to this week’s competition and try your hand.
It’s fun, it’s free and you have to be in it to win it.
Good luck!!
But wait, there’s more
And while in the mood for lavish giveaways and extravagant magnanimity, PS News has joined Rama in the race to the top by showering its lucky winners with not one, not two, but three exclusive and enticing souvenirs for taking the trouble to join the Rama Army.
From this week forward – so lucky for Diana and Meryl above – Rama’s wonderful weekly giveaway has been expanded into a personal pack of fabulous freebies including her fantastic prize plus a free, gratis and no-cost PS News writing pen with the ultra-handy ‘Light up the World’ LED light in its barrel as well as one of the all-new, winners-only, exclusive blue and white PS News T-Shirt brilliantly designed to stand out in crowd.
Has there ever been a better time to be a PS News reader?
We knew you’d say that.
Age wearying them
And finally, from our ‘Wisdom of the Ages’ file comes this forlorn comment from a senior citizen summing up one of the realities of a long life.
“It’s taken me years to get my head together,” the well-lived, adventuresome senior confided.
“Now my body is falling apart”
Amen!
Till next week…..
