Japan  © PJ Croft 1992, 2016

Once again, I’ve had a newspaper change its headline as a result of my criticism. I previously wrote about The Saturday Paper’s use of “Our columnist flys about the nation.” Even this blog software flags that as a mistake. They’ve corrected it to “flies”. What amazes me is that that mistake went on for nearly a year, uncorrected, and unremarked upon by any other reader.

This time it’s the Guardian:

Second refugee at Australian detention centre in Nauru sets themselves on fire

That was the headline on an article yesterday. I protested at their grammar, (as well as at the Nauru camp).

“Second refugee” is singular. “Sets” is singular, but “themselves” is plural, although I’m not even sure it’s a valid word.

At first I thought you didn’t want to reveal the gender of the victim, but you reveal that it’s a young woman in the sub head above the photo.

Why didn’t you just say, Second refugee at Nauru detention centre self immolates ? Or, “sets herself on fire” ?

I assert that I am the only person left alive on Earth who knows how to use singular and plural words.

Shortly after I sent this, they changed it to:

Second refugee at Australian detention centre in Nauru sets herself on fire

Gee, I’m doing well. Malcolm Turncoat is going to ring me to ask for my advice this afternoon. 😉

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The picture behind the text was captured by a news organisation photographer this morning. It’s our esteemed Minister for Immigration, the Honourable Peter Dutton MHR. It was up on the web for a while, but has been taken down. I wonder why?

But someone grabbed it and added this text. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

We can’t go on like this! I can’t believe that the Labor Party is prepared to go along with this deliberate cruelty. I’m seriously considering changing my vote, but it won’t be to the Liberal Party candidate, that’s for sure. “Honourable”? They must be sick!

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 I’ve had no call-back from the company in Melbourne that’s supposed to be responsible for the community TV antenna in this area. ABC TV was again completely unwatchable last night. I’ve had no reception of ABC for over two weeks now. Not happy.

I think the only answer is that I’ll have to put my own antenna up, regardless of any council regulations. Let them tell me to pull it down. They’ll almost certainly never notice it.