How can I contact PM Clark?

[KiwiHopeful]

I have a proposal for her: I would like to be the Minister of Proof Reading and Not Looking Like an Ass when You Want to Appear Professional.

As MoPRaNLLaAwYWtAP, I would be given the authority to levy fines against those who embarrass all Kiwis by their misuse of apostrophes, commas, capital letters, and other fundamentals of grammatical correctness. I might also be granted authority to use a tazer on particularly egregious offenders.

Now, I'm not talking about the silly little errors most of us make on a daily basis. I don't particularly care about a couple of mistakes in the newspaper, or even the newsletter that comes home from my son's school. (I've done the newsletter, and can attest to what a real pain in the ass it is to write *that* on top of all the other things a school administrator has to do.)

No, I'm talking about the help wanted ad I just read that had no less than half a dozen mistakes in it ... all while seeking 'detail oriented' applicants! Or the party van I saw downtown last week, which would gladly drive you around town for 'hen's partys.' And even TV1 and TV3 like to get into the act with typo upon typo in their chyrons.



Okay, I think I'm better now.

<on edit>
I thought I was better, but then I saw this:

SEEK jobs database and employment advice

Check out the salary ... Too bad I can't drive a forklift. But, for that much, I'll learn.

[kokopeli]

How do you contact PM Clark?

I've felt quite sorry for poor old Helen lately, what with all the naughty boys letting her down every five minutes. Only last week, I told Mrs K that I was thinking of writing to Helen to invite her over for one of my finest Mochas. No agenda, no political statement. Just an honest invitation for a coffee and a chat.

I reckon NZ is the sort of place where the PM might just accept.....

As for the grammar, I blame Coronoation Street!

[Glenda]

Originally Posted by kokopeli

As for the grammar, I blame Coronoation Street!

C-o-r-o-n-o-a-t-i-o-n Street?

Come on ... everyone knows that only the English can speak English. You can't force a Yank, Ozzie, or Kiwi to learn proper English.

You have to realise that the English are always the bad guys (see any American movie) and the people now living in its former colonies are most aggrieved with the English (who always do things wrong) and they feel that they did not ask to be speaking English, regardless of their perhaps British ancestry (it is nearly always British - they will find a Scots, Welsh, Cornish member of the family somewhere).

Any corruption of the English language gets the thumbs up as far as some folks are concerned.

[kokopeli]

Originally Posted by Glenda

C-o-r-o-n-o-a-t-i-o-n Street?

A deliberate mistake on account of how it sends my blood pressure rising to the point I'm in danger of a heart attack or (in these circumstances) a CoronOary Arrest. Honest.

[selchie]

Similar typos have been driving me nuts for the last several years in the States. I want to take a red pen to the newspapers and send them back for correction. I guess that's what happens when the papers let go the editors and rely on spell check and a half-wit to catch the errors. Tell Mrs C. that I'll provide references for you, KH.

[nolasmom]

is "orientated." I know it's British and listed in Merriam-Webster, but it sounds hillbilly.