I’ve seen a couple posts floating around the internet lately discussing whether the ability to write well is necessary, or even desirable, for someone who wants to write a blog. It should be obvious that I’m going to come down on the “Yes, it’s necessary” side of the fence. After…
Footnotes and Endnotes
This isn’t meant to be a formal discussion on the differences between these two forms of annotation, but just a topic something I’ve been thinking about. I just finished reading a biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It was a good, interesting book about a complex man, but I had one…
Irony
I don’t want you to think that I don’t appreciate the irony. I’ve talked often about the importance of proof-reading. I stand by it, too. Sure, everybody makes mistakes. Some are more obvious than others, some stem from poor typing, or from rushing and being careless. Some come from ignorance…
Proof-Reading: A Favorite Theme
It’s a favorite theme, stressing the importance of proof-reading, and here’s another example: See this paper towel? All covered with kitchen-related words, all connected to cooking? Do you see something wrong? Look closer. Granted, the word “beet” describes a root vegetable that is often found in kitchens, but when it’s…
Numbers and Words
Here’s an interesting juxtapostion. Yesterday was a big deal in math circles, being called “Square Root Day” because it was March 3rd, 2009. (03×03=09) Today is not only National Grammar Day, but it’s the only day that qualifies as a full, declarative sentence: March Forth! (fourth) Right there, in a…